521 


UC-NRLF 


Pennsylvania  Volunteers  {"Gosline'z 
a  Zouaves")  in  the  Sixth  Corps. 


HISTORICAL    PAPER 


BY  e.  XORTOST,  GALLOWAY, 

(LATE  co.  "A,'-  HOIH  p.  v.) 
READ 

.BY  CHARLES  K  8NYDER,  ESQ., 

(LATE  CORPORAL  CO.  "  K,"  •  95TH  P.  V.) 


liE-l'NION  OF  THi;  Sl'RVJVING  MEMBERS  OF  THE  95'1'H  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS, 
HEM)  AT  (TERMAMOWN,  PA.,  ON  THE  12™  OF  OCTOBER, 


TO   WHI'  H    IS    ADDED 

ItKATIVE  OF   T1IK  CIIANCELLOKSVILLE  CAMPAIGN,  THE  SIX!  <l  COl.'Ps' 

1'AKT   IX  THAT    (\\.MPAI.,X,    WHICH    INCLUDES    AX    OFFICIAL    LIST 

OF  (   AxUAl.lIES  J.\    EACH   KKGI.MKNT  IX  THE  CORPS.  AND 

ALSO     THE     NAME    OF    EYEUY    COMMISSIONED 

OFFK     :i;    KILLED    OK    WOUXDED. 

PRKPAHKD     KI!"M     THE    M     M'S(]UPT    OF    THE    FORTHCOMING    HISTORY    OF 
THE    SIXTH    CORPS, 

BY  GK   NORTON    GALLOWAY. 


iivy  the  uu.uie  this  reyiuient  (Ninety-fifth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers)  has  won  in 
i  in,-      I*1  has  proved  itself  every  way  worthy  to  be  what  we  have  attempted  to 
escribe.    An  indfi-idnal  biography  would  be  an  intensely  interesting  memoir  of  its  prowess 
,s  well  as  exhibit  the  faithfulness  and  patriotism  that  have  ever  guided  its  movements.    May 
I  of  IK  ;•  ties  .vi"-  '.<  M  it  in  his  keeping,  and  shower  down  blessings  and  consolation 
o  those  who     lave  losi   J-,,;/tcr,   Urothf-r,  Husband,  or  Friend,  is  the  fervent   prayer  of 
honsands  in  this  commnnity."— PAit  .Mav,  1S63. 


PHILADELPHIA,     PA. 

1884. 


* 

Ninety-fifth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  ("Goslines 
Pennsylvania  Zouaves")  in  the  Sixth  Corps. 


HISTORICAL    PAPER 


BY  G.  NORTON  CALLOW  AY, 

(LATE  co.  "A,"  9">TH  p.  v.) 


READ 

BY  CHARLES  K  SNYDER,  ESQ., 

(I.ATE  CORPORAL  CO.  "  K,"  95TH  P.  V.) 


RE-UNION  OF  THE  SURVIVING  MEMBERS  OF  THE  95ra  PENNSYLVANIA  VOLUNTEERS, 
HELD  AT  (TERMANTOWN,  PA.,  ON  THE  12™  OF  OCTOBER,  1883. 

TO   WHICH   IS    ADDER 


A   NARRATIVE  OF  THE  CHANCELLORSVILLK  CAMPAIGN,  THE  SIXTH  CORPS' 

PAKT  IX  THAT    CAMPAIGN,    WHICH    INCLUDES    AN    OFFICIAL    LIST 

OF  CASUALTIES  IN  EACH  REGIMENT  IN  THE  CORPS,  AND 

ALSO    THE     NAME    OF    EVERY    COMMISSIONED 

OFFICER    KILLED    OR    WOUNDED. 

PREPARED    FROM    THE    MANUSCRIPT    OF    THE    FORTHCOMING    HISTORY    OF 
THE    SIXTH    CORPS, 

BY  G.  NORTOX   GALLOWAY. 


"  We  envy  the  name  this  regiment  (Ninety-fifth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers)  has  won  in 
the  niche  of  fame  It  has  proved  itself  every  way  worthy  to  be  what  we  have  attempted  to 
describe.  An  individual  biography  would  be  an  intensely  interesting1  memoir  of  its  prowess 
as  well  as  exhibit  the  faithfulness  and  patriotism  that  have  ever  guided  its  movements  May 
the  God  of  battles  ever  hold  it  in  his  keeping,  and  shower  down  blessings  and  consolation 
to  those  who  have  lost  Father,  Brother,  Husband,  or  Friend,  is  the  fervent  prayer  of 
thousands  in  this  community." — Philadelphia  Sunday  Dispatcli,  May,  1863. 


PHILADELPHIA,     PA. 

1884. 


»  5 


COLLINS,  PRINTER. 


V 

^ 

Z 

r 


TO 

MAJOR-GENERAL  JOHN  SEDGWICK, 

KILLED  BY  A  SHARPSHOOTER  MAY  9TH,  1864,  NEAR  SPOTTSYLVANIA 
COURT-HOUSE,   VA., 


THE  FALLEN  BRAVES 


GLORIOUS  OLD  SIXTH  CORPS. 


THE  AUTHOR. 


ADDRESS. 


THE  "Union  Cockade,"  and  red,  white,  and  blue  ribbon 
fever  was  yet  at  its  height,  when  the  three  months'  volun 
teers  returned  to  their  homes  from  a  brief  campaign  in  Mary 
land  and  Virginia.  The  country  was  still  in  a  state  of  excite 
ment,  and  brisk  recruiting  was  going  on  at  all  points. 

Philadelphia  had  been  and  was  still  doing  a  noble  work 
towards  her  share  in  suppressing  the  rebellion,  and  the  South 
was  just  beginning  to  feel  the  reverberation  of  the  "Ruffin 
Gun"  fired  by  the  Marlbourne  Virginia  farmer.  The  popular 
uprising,  however,  had  not  yet  reached  its  zenith,  for  a  dis 
trustful  element  hovered  about  the  horizon,  which  needed 
only  to  burst  to  give  true  color  to  the  immensurability  of  a 
struggle  begun  somewhat  on  the  principle  of  u  When  fools 
take  up  the  sword,  wise  people  are  compelled  to  take  the  shield  ;" 
for  many  believed  (and  rightly,  too)  that  our  sister  States  of 
the  South  had  foolishly  taken  up  arms  against  a  supposition 
of  wrong;  and  we  of  the  North,  East,  and  West  had  only  to 
lay  hold  on  the  shield  to  restore  order. 

A  number  of  fine  regiments  had  already  left  for  the  seat  of 
war,  under  the  new  call  of  President  Lincoln  for  three  years' 
volunteers,  and  many  others  were  in  process  of  organization. 
The  Washington  Blues,  a  military  company  of  Philadelphia, 
had  been  in  existence  since  the  17th  of  August,  1817.  Its 
first  captain  being  Robert  Patterson,  late  Major-General  of 
volunteers  (since  deceased).  At  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion 
it  numbered  seventy-five  muskets,  under  command  of  Captain 
John  M.  Gosline,  of  Philadelphia,  a  tailor  by  trade,  who  had 
for  many  years  been  connected  with  the  company.  From  it 
Company  A  of  the  Eighteenth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  Col. 
Wm.  D.  Lewis  commanding,  was  principally,  if  not  entirely, 

2 

• 

M17O450 


6 

recruited  for  the  three  months'  service.  This  company  was 
officered  by  Captain  Gosline  commanding,  with  Gustavus 
Washington  Town  (a  printer  of  Philadelphia)  as  first,  and  his 
brother,  Thomas  J.  Town,  as  second  lieutenant. 

Upon  his  return  from  the  three  months'  service,  Captain 
Gosline,  having  been  invested  with  the  necessary  authority 
by  the  War  Department,  on  the  27th  of  July,  1861,  proceeded 
in  conjunction  with  his  late  lieutenants,  the  brothers  Town, 
to  raise  a  three  years'  regiment  for  the  national  defence.  Of 
the  regiment,  afterward  better  known  as  the  Ninety-Fifth 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  it  is  now  proposed  to  speak. 

Not  that  this  once  famous  body  of  men  did  more  than  their 
noble  brothers  of  other  name  and  number  under  the  same 
flag,  but  that  the  writer  has  a  fuller  knowledge  of  its  doings 
(having  served  his  country  with  them). 

Recruiting  for  "  Gosline's  Pennsylvania  Zouaves"  was  be 
gun  on  the  21st  of  August,  1861.  The  books  of  the  first 
company  (A)  being  opened  on  that  day,  at  Sixth  and  Chest 
nut  Streets,  over  the  clothing  establishment  of  Rockhill  & 
Wilson,  by  Thomas  J.  Town,  before  mentioned,  and  forty- 
six  men  were  enrolled  in  a  few  hours'  time.  All  the  compa 
nies,  excepting  "B,"  were  recruited  in  Philadelphia  and  its 
suburbs,  the  latter  company  having  been  recruited  in  part  in 
Burlington  County,  New  Jersey,  by  Lieuts.  J.  G.  C.  Macfar- 
lane  and  Wm.  H.  R.  Neal.  This  company  also  established  a 
rendezvous  in  Philadelphia,  over  the  clothing  establishment  of 
Rockhill  &  Wilson,  when  the  company  roster  was  finally  filled 
under  Captain  Enos  Baldwin,  who  had  been  a  first  lieutenant 
in  Company  F,  Eighteenth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers.  Com 
panies  C  and  I)  also  were  recruited  at  the  same  building,  the 
former  by  Captain  Elisha  Hall,  and  the  latter  by  Captain 
Jacob  II.  Beattes.  Captains  Beattes  and  Hall  had  also  served 
in  the  Eighteenth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  in  the  three 
months'  service — Beattes  as  captain,  and  Hall  as  second  lieu 
tenant  of  Company  F.  Company  E  was  recruited  in  German- 
town,  a  wealthy  suburb  of  Philadelphia,  by  Captain  G.  W. 
McCullough.  Company  F  was  raised  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Ridge  (Road)  Avenue,  Vine,  and  Callowhill  Streets,  by  Cap- 


tain  Edward  Carroll.  Company  G  had  a  general  rendezvous  at 
the  armory  of  the  Philadelphia  Greys,  a  local  military  organ 
ization,  on  Market  Street  above  Eighth,  and  a  recruiting 
station  on  the  corner  of  Forty-second  and  Market  Streets, 
West  Philadelphia.  The  company  was  raised  by  Captain 
William  Pritner,  who  had  been  identified  with  the  "Greys," 
for  twenty-nine  years,  and  who  had  just  returned  from  the 
three  months'  campaign,  having  commanded  a  company  in 
the  Seventeenth  Pennsylvania,  under  Col.  Frank  E.  Patter 
son.  Company  H  was  recruited  by  Captain  Francis  W. 
Franklin,  Chestnut  Street  below  Eighth.  Company  I  was 
recruited  in  the  northern  and  western  environs  of  Philadel 
phia — Manayunk  and  Roxborough — by  Captain  Timothy 
Clegg.  Company  I  was  largely  recruited  by  Captain  (after 
wards  Major)  William  B.  Hubbs,  and  the  rolls  show  the  first- 
muster  of  recruits  to  have  taken  place  on  the  23d  of  August, 
1861.  And  Company  K  was  raised  by  Captain  Harry  W. 
Ilewes,  its  principal  rendezvous  being  with  Companies  A,  B, 
C,  and  D. 

A  camp  for  instruction,  known  as  "Camp  Gibson,"  was 
established  in  Jones's  Woods,  near  Hestonville,  West  Phila 
delphia,  and  the  organization  was  designated  by  the  proper 
authority  as  "  Gosline's  Pennsylvania  Zouaves,"  Forty-fifth 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Infantry.  t 

As  fast  as  recruits  were  enrolled  and  mustered  in,  they 
were  sent  to  Camp  Gibson  and  fitted  out.  While  here  per 
mission  was  given  the  men  to  visit  their  homes,  and  remain 
for  twenty-four  hours  at  a  time,  at  the  expiration  of  which 
they  were  required  to  return  to  camp  and  report  for  duty. 
The  companies  were  soon  filled  up,  the  majority  of  the  volun 
teers  being  young  men  of  high  social  standing,  many  holding 
positions  of  trust  in  the  leading  mercantile  houses  of  Phila 
delphia. 

Clothing,  arms,  arid  accoutrements  were  issued  almost  daily, 
and  drilling  commenced.  Camp  guard  was  mounted  regu 
larly,  and  a  thorough  system  of  discipline  exacted  from  the 
men.  The  arms  issued  at  this  camp  were  the  old  Harper's 
Ferry  altered  muskets,  which  were  subsequently  exchanged 


8 

for  the  Austrian  rifle  with  four-square  bayonet.  During  the 
winter  of  1862,  at  Camp  Franklin,  Virginia,  the  utter  use- 
lessness  of  these  latter  arms  was  fully  demonstrated  by  its 
frequent  use  in  target  practice,  by  the  several  companies  of 
the  command,  and  subsequently  after  the  regiment  arrived 
before  Richmond.  In  June  of  the  same  year  this  arm  was 
exchanged  for  the  Springfield  Rifle,  which  was  retained  until 
the  close  of  the  war. 

The  regimental  uniform  was  of  the  zouave  pattern,  and 
differed  but  little  from  other  zouave  organizations — Birney's 
and  Baxter's — then  forming  in  the  city.     It  was  manufac 
tured  by  the  firm  of  Rockhill  &  Wilson,  Philadelphia,  and 
consisted   of  the  best  material,  heavy   marine   cloth.     The 
jacket,   which  was   of   the   sacque   pattern,   was   open,   and 
rounded  at  the  waist,  and  trimmed  with  broad  and  narrow 
scarlet  braid.     Down  each  side  was  a  row  of  brass  buttons, 
adding  greatly  to  its  beauty  and  finish.     The  pants  were  of 
full  length,  not  so  wide  as  the  regular  "  Zouave  Petticoat," 
but  just  wide  enough  to  harmonize  with  the  pleated  waist,  in 
broad  folds.     The  over  shirt  was  of  Navy  flannel,  with  silver- 
plated  buttons,  corresponding  with  those  on  the  jacket,  but 
several   sizes  smaller.     The   cap   was   the   McClellan   style, 
braided  with  narrow  scarlet  braid.     A  pair  of  leather  leg 
gings  nearly  reaching  the  knees  finished  the  uniform,  which, 
upon  the  whgle,  was  very  neat  and  attractive.     The  officers' 
uniform  was  of  the  regulation  pattern  excepting  the  caps, 
which  were  trimmed  with  heavy  bullion  in  "  Pretzel  work." 
The  following  was  the   original   roster  of  commissioned 
officers:    Colonel,  John  M.  Gosline;  Lieutenant-Colonel,  Gus- 
tavus  "W.  Town;  Major,  Win.  B.  Hubbs;  Adjutant,  Eugene 
D.  Dunton ;  Quartermaster,  John  Haverland ;  Surgeon,  Ed 
ward  B.  P.  Kelly;   Assistant-Surgeon,  C.  C.  McGlaughlin. 
Company   A:   Captain   Thomas  J.  Town  (promoted   Major, 
commissioned  Colonel,  not  mustered) ;  First  Lieutenant,  Ed 
ward   Freeman   (promoted  Captain  of  Company  I);   Second 
Lieutenant,  C.  S.  Danenhower.     Company  B :  Captain,  Enos 
Baldwin ;  First  Lieutenant,  J.  G.  C.  Macfarlane  (promoted 
First  Lieutenant,  Captain,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel,  not  mus- 


9 

tered) ;  Second  Lieutenant,  Wm.  H.  R.  ISTeal  (promoted  Cap 
tain).  Company  C :  Captain,  Elisha  Hall  (promoted  Lieuten 
ant-Colonel)  ;  First  Lieutenant,  Hamilton  Donohue ;  Second 
Lieutenant,  T.  D.  G.  Chapman  (promoted  First  Lieutenant 
and  Captain).  Company  D:  Captain,  Jacob  H.  Beattes; 
First  Lieutenant,  Francis  J.  Eandall  (promoted  Captain, 
commissioned  Major,  not  mustered);  Second  Lieutenant,  Pat 
rick  Egan  (promoted  Captain  of  Company  K).  Company  E : 
Captain,  G.  W.  McCullough ;  First  Lieutenant,  William  H. 
Miller;  Second  Lieutenant,  Hugh  Oscar  Roberts  (promoted 
First  Lieutenant,  Captain,  and  commissioned  Major,  not 
mustered).  Company  F :  Captain  Edward  Carroll  (promoted 
Lieutenant-Colonel) ;  First  Lieutenant,  David  Hailer ;  Second 
Lieutenant,  Charles  Shugrue.  Company  G:  Captain,  Wil 
liam  Pritner;  First  Lieutenant,  George  Weest  (promoted 
Captain);  Second  Lieutenant,  Jacob  Conrad.  Company  H: 
Captain,  F.  W.  Franklin ;  First  Lieutenant,  J.  B.  W.  Ayde- 
lotte  (promoted  Captain) ;  Second  Lieutenant,  Huston  Smith, 
Jr.  Company  I:  Captain  Timothy  Clegg;  First  Lieutenant, 
John  B.  Maxwell;  Second  Lieutenant,  John  Laughlin.  Com 
pany  K  :  Captain  Harry  W.  Hewes ;  First  Lieutenant,  Theo 
dore  H.  McCalla  (promoted  Captain  of  Company  E,  and 
Major) ;  Second  Lieutenant,  Michael  A.  Burke  (promoted 
First  Lieutenant  and  Captain).  William  John  Campbell  was 
Commissary  Sergeant;  Mardon  Wilson,  Jr.,  was  Quarter 
master  Sergeant ;  Robert  H.  Porter,  Sergeant  Major ;  Thomas 
Noble,  Hospital  Steward  ;  James  M.  Mann  and  Frederick 
Myers  were  Principal  Musicians. 

Attached  to  the  regiment  was  a  fine  brass  band,  which  had 
long  been  in  existence,  and  ranked  among  the  first  local 
bands  in  Philadelphia.  Its  leader,  Joseph  Whittington,  wTas 
an  accomplished  performer  upon  the  cornet,  and  a  musician 
of  some  celebrity.  It  was  composed  as  follows  :— 

Leader,  Joseph  Whittington ;  David  Algie,  William  H. 
Bovard,  Henry  Beaver,  Willis  Davis,  William  Donald,  Thos. 
Fitzpatrick,  William  H.  Heffron,  John  R.  Hause,  William 
Hinkle,  Henry  Klag,  Adolph  Miller,  Martin  W.  Mann, 
George  Murgetroid,  Alexander  McCrea,  Abraham  Ogden, 


10 

Benjamin  F.  Peterman,  Joseph  Y.  Peterman  (Sergt.),  Aaron 
Stevenson,  Philip  Sanderson,  John  Tenny,  Frank  L.  Wagner, 
Sylvester  Yardley. 

The  following  is  the  Regimental  Roster  of  Commissioned 
Officers  (other  than  those  originally  serving) :  Corporal  Henry 
E.  Hindmarsh,  of  Company  G,  was  promoted  to  be  Adjutant, 
iilling  the  vacancy  made  by  the  death  of  Adjutant  Dunton, 
killed  at  the  battle  of  Salem  Church,  Va.,  on  the  3d  of  May, 
1863.  Thomas  M.  Laney  and  Jefferson  Litz  were  Assistant 
Surgeons. 

Company  A:  Captain,  Alexander  Boyd ;  First  Lieuten 
ants,  Frank  M.  Harris,  David  Gordon,  James  S.  Day  ;  Second 
Lieutenant,  William  Stivers. 

Company  B:  First  Lieutenants,  John  S.  Carpenter  (pro 
moted  Captain  of  Company  H),  Thomas  M.  Field;  Second 
Lieutenants,  William  J.  Martin,  John  B.  Thompson. 

Company  C :  Captains,  Thomas  D.  Gr.  Chapman,  Samuel  S. 
Ford ;  First  Lieutenants,  Frank  Stewart,  Jacob  A.  Bisbing, 
Alexander  H.  Fry  (transferred  from  Company  I) ;  Second 
Lieutenants,  William  J.  Gelston  (promoted  First  Lieutenant 
of  Company  H),  John  Southwell  (promoted  First  Lieutenant 
of  Company  H),  Michael  Lawn  (transferred  from  Company  K). 

Company  D:  Captain,  John  A.  Ward  (promoted  Major); 
First  Lieutenants,  Samuel  H.  Town,  William  B.  Spooner ; 
Second  Lieutenant,  Conrad  Miller. 

Company  E :  First  Lieutenant,  James  E.  Hews ;  Second 
Lieutenant,  William  Foreman. 

Company  F  :  Captain,  William  Byrnes  ;  First  Lieutenant, 
William  J.  Macdonald. 

Company  F  (a  new  company  assigned  to  the  regiment  in 
the  spring  of  1865) :  Captain,  Thomas  P.  Smith  ;  First  Lieu 
tenant,  Samuel  Johnson ;  Second  Lieutenant,  Henry  L.  Esrey. 

Company  G :  Captain,  George  P.  Wood ;  First  Lieuten 
ants,  Enoch  McCabe,  Joseph  Yickery  (promoted  Captain  of 
Company  A). 

Company  H :  Captain,  Samuel  H.  Jones ;  First  Lieutenant, 
James  J.  Carroll ;  Second  Lieutenant,  George  R.  Helmick. 

Company  I :  Captains,  David  F.  Foley  (promoted  to  Major), 
John  Harper  (promoted  from  First  Sergeant  of  Company  G  to 


11 

Sergeant-Major,  Second  and  First  Lieutenants,  and  Captain  of 
Company  I ;  thence  to  Major  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the 
regiment,  and  was  finally  commissioned  Colonel,  though  not 
mustered  as  such) ;  First  Lieutenant,  Samuel  Topham ;  Sec 
ond  Lieutenant,  Marshall  C.  Hong  (promoted  Captain,  trans 
ferred  to  Company  C). 

Company  I  (new  company  added  to  the  regiment  in  April, 
1865) :  Captain,  Jacob  C.  Schuler ;  First  Lieutenant,  William 
Sharpley  ;  Second  Lieutenant,  Samuel  Kutter. 

Company  K :  First  Lieutenants,  James  Hergesheimer,  Ed 
win  McEwen  ;  Second  Lieutenant,  Jacob  Weber. 

Between  the  21st  of  August  and  the  llth  of  October,  1861, 
ten  full  companies  had  been  recruited,  clothed,  armed,  and 
equipped,  and  were  ready  for  the  field.  On  the  latter  day 
Col.  Gosline  received  orders  from  the  War  Department  to 
report  with  his  command  to  Brig.-Gen.  Silas  Casey,  at  Wash 
ington,  D.  C. 

All  necessary  arrangements  were  completed  by  the  evening 
of  the  llth,  and  orders  issued  to  each  company  commander 
to  have  his  men  in  readiness  to  move  by  10  A.  M.  of  the  12th. 
Accordingly  permission  was  given  to  the  men  to  visit  their 
homes  and  families,  and  spend  the  last  night  with  them. 
Soon  after  the  issue  of  this  order  nearly  the  entire  regiment 
could  be  seen  wending  their  way  from  Camp  Gibson  towards 
the  city,  all  in  good  spirits  and  anxious  to  make  the  most  of 
the  indulgence  granted  them. 

The  passenger  railway  cars  running  from  the  western  part 
of  the  city  were  taxed  to  their  utmost  capacity  in  conveying 
the  men  to  their  homes,  and  many  were  compelled  to  walk 
for  want  of  accommodation.  The  morning  of  the  12th  broke 
bright  and  clear,  and  at  a  very  early  hour  squads  of  the  regi 
ment  were  making  their  way  to  camp,  all  eager  and  ready  to 
go  to  the  front.  By  10  A.  M.  the  men  had  nearly  all  reported, 
and  the  long  expected  order  came  to  "  Break  camp ;  "  Pack 
up!"  In  an  instant  all  hands  were  busy  in  packing  knap 
sacks,  rolling  tents,  and  loading  up  the  baggage.  Three  days' 
cooked  rations  had  been  ordered,  but  their  issue,  in  many 
cases,  was  not  necessary,  as  the  men  had  supplied  themselves 


12 

with  a  goodly  store  of  more  palatable  and  delicious  articles 
of  food.  In  just  one  hour's  time  (11  A.  M.)  after  the  order 
had  been  given,  all  the  companies  were  in  line  and  ready  to 
move.  Many  civilians,  friends,  and  relatives  of  members  of 
the  regiment  were  in  camp  witnessing  the  final  preparations 
for  the  march,  and  followed  the  regiment  to  the  city.  About 
11  A.  M.  each  company  marched  out  of  its  street,  "A"  lead 
ing,  and  filing  to  the  left  on  Hestonville  Road.  We  reached 
the  city  about  noon,  and  paraded  through  the  principal 
streets ;  marching  down  Chestnut  to  Third,  thence  to  Wash 
ington  Avenue,  being  loudly  applauded  and  cheered  at  almost 
every  point.  The  houses  along  the  route  were  handsomely 
decorated  with  the  national  colors,  and  this,  together  with 
the  "  Union  window-shutter  ties"  and  the  waving  of  handker 
chiefs  and  miniature  flags  by  the  ladies  and  children,  made 
up  a  gay  scene.  Marching  down  Washington  Avenue  to  Sec 
ond  Street  a  halt  was  ordered ;  stacking  arms  on  the  north 
side  of  the  avenue,  we  unslung  knapsacks,  thence  proceeding 
to  that  noble  institution,  the  "  Union  Volunteer  Eefreshment 
Saloon" — and  just  here  I  must  pause  in  my  narrative  to  do 
honor,  though  in  a  feeble  way,  to  that  grandest  of  all  retreats, 
where  more  than  600,000  mouths  were  generously  filled,  and 
where  the  tired  found  rest,  and  the  sick  and  weary  comfort 
and  medicine. 

[If  the  city  of  brotherly  love  did  nothing  more  than  estab 
lish  this  refreshment  saloon  during  the  rebellion  it  were 
enough  and  more  too ;  but  it  is  not  my  province  to  write  of 
Philadelphia's  wondrous  work — the  world  knows  it  all.  I 
do  want  to  say  here,  though,  that  upon  many  occasions  when 
conversing  with  the  men  from  other  States,  when  told  that 
we  were  from  Philadelphia  their  faces  lit  up  at  once  and  they 
were  quick  to  recognize  her  care  for  the  soldiers,  exclaiming, 
" Oh,  yes!  that's  where  they  fed  us  so  well."  "Yes,  that's 
the  greatest  place  in  the  country  1"  and  "  We  '11  never  forget 
that  place  as  long  as  we  live !"  And  the  writers  on  the  late 
war  will  never  cease  writing  about  it,  for  in  almost  every 
work  one  sees  something  concerning  that  once  great  estab 
lishment  on  the  Delaware,  in  glorious,  generous,  enlightened 
Philadelphia.] 


13 

We  took  position  on  either  side  of  the  long  tables,  which 
had  been  prepared  expressly  for  us,  and  were  not  long  in 
doing  justice  to  the  substantial  viands  with  which  the  tables 
were  loaded.  The  ladies  (God  bless  them)  will  ever  be  re 
membered  for  their  kindness  to  us.  Gentle  hands  prepared 
neat  parcels,  which  were  placed  in  our  haversacks,  then  tak 
ing  our  canteens,  they  filled  them  with  coffee  and  milk,  think 
ing  nothing  they  could  do  for  us  a  trouble.  Thus,  having 
been  well  cared  and  provided  for,  we,  proceeding  to  our  stacks, 
were  ordered  into  line.  We  now  moved  out  Washington 
Avenue,  preceded  by  our  band,  which  discoursed  lively  music. 
On  arriving  at  the  Baltimore  Depot  at  Broad  and  Washing 
ton  Avenue  a  lengthy  halt  was  made,  prior  to  embarkation. 

At  the  depot  an  unusually  large  number  of  people  had  con 
gregated  anticipating  our  arrival ;  many  of  them  the  relations 
and  friends  of  our  men,  nearly  all  holding  mysterious  looking 
packages  intended  for  some  dear  one.  Many  of  the  volun 
teers'  families  were  present  entire,  and  here  and  there  could 
be  seen  the  wife  holding  the  little  one  to  kiss  the  father,  and 
in  another  direction  could  be  seen  the  father  holding  his  child 
in  his  arms  until  the  last  moment,  with  mothers,  wives,  sis 
ters,  and  sweethearts  clinging  to  their  nearest  and  dearest  ties 
reluctantly.  Some  little  time  elapsed  before  we  were  ordered 
aboard  the  train,  now  in  readiness  (6.30  P.  M.).  The  crowd 
had  increased  to  a  multitude  by  this  time,  and  an  almost  in 
describable  scene  was  being  enacted.  At  length  the  command 
rang  out,  "Get  aboard!"  when  each  company  filed  into  the 
cars  assigned  to  it,  and  by  7  P.  M.  the  entire  command,  num 
bering  932  all  told,  were  safely  "aboard"  with  but  two  excep 
tions,  a  captain  and  lieutenant,  who  remained  to  take  charge 
of  some  recruits  at  the  rendezvous  of  their  company  (K). 

The  screeching  whistle  now  gave  notice  to  the  surging 
thousands  that  the  boys  were  going  off  to  the  wars  indeed, 
for  it  was  not  until  this  moment  arrived  could  they  realize 
the  fact  that  they  were  parting  perhaps  never  to  meet  again 
on  earth,  or  the  great  sacrifice  which  they  had  been  called 
upon  to  make  in  order  that  the  Republic,  founded,  joined,  and 
cemented  by  our  forefathers  and  their  blood,  might  be  kept 


14 

together  and  the  plans  of  the  conspirators  thwarted.  Shortly 
after  daylight  of  the  13th  we  arrived  safely  in  Washington ; 
some  little  delay  was  caused  in  leaving  the  cars  and  forming, 
and  it  was  7  o'clock  before  the  orders  were  given  to  move. 
Our  first  halt  was  made  on  the  border  of  the  town,  before  an 
unsightly  looking  barrack  of  great  dimensions ;  our  first  im 
pression  was  that  we  were  going  to  be  domiciled  in  this  shed 
ding;  but,  however,  this  thought  was  soon  dispelled  upon 
casting  our  eyes  about,  for  we  soon  discerned  a  small  sign 
above  the  entrance  which  read  thus:  "Soldiers'  Retreat;" 
this  was  the  Washington  Volunteer  Refreshment  Saloon.  Oh, 
what  a  striking  contrast  between  the  two — the  Volunteer  Re 
freshment  Saloon  at  Philadelphia  and  the  saloon  for  refresh 
ing  volunteers  at  Washington.  The  former  might  have  com 
pared  favorably  with  the  best  restaurants  in  any  northern 
city,  while  the  latter,  sad  to  say,  was,  without  comparison,  an 
institution  peculiar  in  itself.  The  tables  were  of  the  roughest 
splint-pine  boards,  bare  of  any  covering  whatever ;  black  coffee 
was  served  in  tin-cups  from  horse  buckets,  and  stale  bread 
devoid  of  taste,  cut  in  slices  an  inch  and  a  half  thick,  consti 
tuted  the  Sunday  morning's  meal  offered  at  this  place,  and 
that  was  hastily  partaken  of  whilst  we  stood  in  the  presence 
of  a  huge  slice  of  the  immortal  swine  which  was  nailed  con 
spicuously  to  a  post  in  the  centre  of  the  barracks ;  tantaliz- 
ingly  it  seemed  to  say,  "Take  a  look,  that 's  all  you  '11  get." 

Upon  reporting  his  arrival  to  Gen.  Casey,  Col.  Gosline 
was  instructed  to  encamp  his  regiment  on  Kendall  Green. 
Gen.  Casey's  command,  to  which  we  were  now  attached,  was 
known  as  the  provisional  brigade,  was  encamped  on  Kalorama 
Heights  and  Meridian  Hill,  and  consisted  of  the  following 
troops  (at  this  time):  Fifth,  Sixth,  Seventh,  and  Eighth  New 
Jersey  Volunteers,  a  battalion  of  District  of  Columbia  Volun 
teers,  Fourth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  Fourth  New  Hampshire 
Volunteers,  and  Col.  Miller's  Eighty-first  Pennsylvania  Vol 
unteers,  which  was  assigned  on  the  13th  of  October  also.  We 
now  moved  in  that  direction  (Kendall  Green)  and  after  a  short 
march  through  the  outskirts  of  Washington,  reached  the  spot 
selected  for  our  camping-ground.  This  was  just  on  the  brow 


15 

of  a  pretty  green  hill,  about  two  miles  north  of  the  Capitol,  it 
was  called  Kendall  Green  in  honor  of  its  owner,  Hon.  Amos 
Kendall,  who  was  at  this  time  living  in  Texas ;  it  had  been 
the  camping  spot  of  the  famous  Sixty-ninth  New  York,  of 
"  Bull's  Run"  notoriety,  and  its  lovely,  velvety  appearance 
gave  a  charm  to  the  deep  forests  beyond,  whose  stately  oaks 
were  now  beginning  to  change  their  clothing. 

On  the  23d  October,  Colonel  Gosline  received  orders  from 
Gen.  Casey  to  parade  his  regiment  on  the  twenty-fourth,  the 
.latter  having  selected  the  command  as  escort  to  the  remains  of 
the  late  Colonel  Baker  (1st  California  Regiment),  who  was 
killed  in  the  affair  at  Ball's  Bluff,  on  the  twenty-first  of  Oc 
tober,  1861. 

Our  regiment  at  this  time  was  much  admired  for  its  hand 
some  appearance,  and  had  in  a  brief  space  of  time  won  many 
friends  in  "Washington.  It  was  indeed  an  honor  to  have  been 
selected  for  such  an  office  as  this,  in  the  presence  of  so  many 
older  and  well-disciplined  troops  now  in  Washington,  not  a 
few  of  whom  were  of  the  regular  army.  "We  were  as  yet 
untaught  in  the  manual  of  arms,  especially  in  the  funeral  ex 
ercises.  At  so  short  a  notice,  it  could  hardly  be  expected 
that  the  men  could  be  thoroughly  instructed  in  these  points, 
but  Colonel  Gosline  resolved  to  "put  them  through."  The 
previous  day  had  been  wet,  and  the  ground  was  unfavor 
able  for  drilling ;  but  at  4  P.  M.,  we  were  on  the  parade 
ground,  and  quite  a  lengthy  course  of  instructions  in  "  load 
ing,"  and  "  firing,"  and  the  "  reverse,"  and  "  ground  arms," 
with  the  always  awkward  "  fix"  and  "  unfix  bayonets"  passed 
through.  It  was  quite  amusing  to  see  how  some  of  the  men 
who,  probably  never,  previous  to  the  Rebellion,  handled  a 
musket,  managed  to  manipulate  the  heavy  and  clumsy  wea 
pons  with  which  we  were  armed.  Many  were  in  the  act  of 
"  grounding,"  whilst  others  were  raising  their  pieces ;  and  in 
the  other  movements  vice  versa.  After  a  few  lessons,  however, 
we,  with  wonderful  adroitness,  overcame  these  (at  first  seem 
ingly  difficult  exercises),  and  with  a  short  instruction  on  the 
morning  of  the  24th,  prior  to  leaving  camp,  exhibited  a  marked 
improvement  in  all  these  movements. 


16 

Soon  after  10  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  24th  we  moved 
from  our  camp  (as  we  have  before  stated,  to  attend  the  obse 
quies  of  the  late  Colonel  Baker),  and  about  one  hour  later 
halted,  near  the  residence  of  Colonel  Webb,  Fourteenth  and  H 
Streets,  where,  after  a  short  rest,  we  moved  on  the  right  of 
the  line,  with  our  right  resting  on  Thirteenth  Street.  At  noon 
precisely  we  moved  off,  left  in  front,  down  Thirteenth  Street 
to  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  thence  to  the  Congressional  Ceme 
tery,  a  short  distance  east  of  the  Capitol.  At  the  conclusion 
of  the  lengthy  and  impressive  ceremonies,  the  Ninety-fifth  fired 
three  volleys  over  the  grave  of  the  lamented  dead  General  and 
Senator,  from  an  elevated  position  a  few  paces  off.  These 
volleys  had  a  saddening  effect  as  they  echoed  through  the  little 
valley  in  which  the  remains  then  reposed.  It  was  5  o'clock 
when  we  reached  our  camp  at  "Kendall  Green,"  somewhat 
tired  and  hungry. 

A  few  extracts  from  the  journal  of  the  writer  at  this  time 
will  no  doubt  be  listened  to  (read)  with  interest. 

On  the  28th  of  October  we  paraded  at  10  A.  M.,  soon  after 
marching  to  Washington,  by  way  of  Seventh  Street,  and  halt 
ing  on  the  beautiful  high  ground,  known  as  Capitol  Hill. 
Here  about  thirteen  regiments  had  assembled  to  take  part  in 
a  grand  review,  ordered  by  Gen.  McClellan.  About  2  P.  M. 
the  review  began,  and  was  witnessed  by  many  of  the  citizens 
of  Washington,  as  well  as  a  great  number  of  strangers  from 
other  parts.  Early  in  the  day  Colonel  Gosline  received  orders 
to  the  effect  that  his  regiment  had  been  assigned  to  the  bri 
gade  of  Gen.  Oliver  0.  Howard,  the  same  order  instructing 
him  to  march  on  the  twenty-ninth,  and  report  to  that  officer  for 
duty  near  Bladensburg,  Marjdand.  In  accordance  with  these 
instructions,  marching  orders  were  issued  to  the  several  com 
panies  on  the  same  evening.  At  this  review  we  obtained  our 
first  glance  of  Gen.  McClellan,  and  many  stretched  their  necks 
eagerly  over  the  field  after  the  "  Young  Napoleon."  McClellan 
expressed  himself  delighted  with  the  "  Gosline  Zouaves,"  and 
was  more  than  once  heard  to  say,  "  good,  good,  my  boys,"  as 
some  bit  of  fancy  marching  which  the  regiment  did  pleased 
him.  Gen.  McClellan  at  once  took  measures  to  have  the  order 


17 

assigning  the   "  Gosline's"  to  Howard's  Brigade  abrogated, 
which  caused  us  some  double  marching  a  few  days  later. 

On  the  29th  (Oct.)  reveille  was  beaten  at  5  A.  M.  Im 
mediately  after  breakfast  we  were  ordered  to  break  camp. 
About  9  o'clock  we  took  up  the  line  of  march,  reaching 
"  Camp  Union,"  Bladensburg,  some  eight  miles  distant,  about 
noon.  We  were  here  brigaded  with  the  Fourth  Rhode  Island 
Volunteers,  Colonel  Isaac  P.  Rodman  and  the  Sixty-first  New 
York  Volunteers,  Colonel  Spencer  "W.  Cone  (a  regiment  which 
afterward  furnished  two  famous  Generals  to  the  service,  Fran 
cis  C.  Barlow  and  Nelson  A.  Miles).  Colonel  Miller's  regiment 
(Eighty-first  Pennsylvania),  was  also  assigned  to  Howard's  Bri 
gade  at  that  time. 

Orders  were  given,  on  the  arrival  of  the  officers'  baggage  and 
camp  equipage,  to  "  pitch  tents  in  regular  order ;"  but  while 
thus  engaged,  and  when  about  half  way  through  with  the 
work,  another  order  was  issued,  to  "be  ready  to  move  at  5 
A.  M.  on  the  30th."  This  last  notice  was  not  received  in  the 
same  spirit  as  its  predecessor,  for  we  had  not  yet  begun  to 
realize  the  fickleness  of  military  orders,  especially  those  re 
lating  to  encampments.  The  tents,  however,  were  pitched 
in  a  temporary  manner,  and  towards  evening  our  band  en 
livened  the  scene  with  sweet  music. 

On  the  30th  (Oct.)  reveille  was  beaten  at  5  A.  M.,  when  we 
struck  tents,  and  about  9  o'clock  took  up  the  line  of  march 
to  the  tune  of  "Carry  me  back  to  Ole  Virginia  Shore."  Our 
place  in  the  brigade  being  taken  by  the  Fifth  Xew  Hampshire, 
Colonel  Edward  E.  Cross,  moving  off  on  the  Washington  Pike, 
passing  Fort  Lincoln,  after  a  dusty  march  of  about  seven  miles, 
we  arrived  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Long  Bridge,  near  the 
junction  of  Maryland  Avenue  and  Fourteenth  Street,  now 
about  1.30  o'clock.  Here  the  beautiful  Potomac  met  our 
gaze,  and  that  remarkable  structure — the  Long  Bridge — 
darted  before  us,  in  its  mile  of  length,  like  some  disjointed 
street  swung  for  our  accommodation. 

Having  obtained  a  few  moments'  rest  and  some  refreshments 
of  "  tack"  and  pork,  we  again  resumed  our  march,  and  reached 
the  Virginia  shore  about  2  A.  M.,  passing  through  the  gates 


18 

of  Fort  Jackson.  About  6.30  A.  M.  we  entered  Alexandria 
in  splendid  order  with  our  band  playing  "Captain  Shep- 
pherd's  Quick  Step."  This  seemed  to  inspire  each  man  with 
new  vigor  and  prepare  him  for  the  long  journey  yet  ahead. 
Marching  the  entire  length  of  the  town,  we  passed  out  at  its 
southern  extremity,  and  crossing  Hunting  Creek,  a  small  trib 
utary  of  the  Potomac,  continued  southward  beyond  Fort  Lyon. 
By  this  time  the  day  was  far  advanced  and  we  began  to  think 
that  something  must  be  wrong.  What  could  it  be?  Now 
and  then  a  halt  was  ordered,  then  a  forward  movement,  what 
did  it  mean?  "Are  we  ordered  to  Mt.  Vernon?"  ran  through 
the  ranks.  For  we  were  not  a  great  distance  from  that  place. 
No !  After  some  delay  it  was  discovered  that  the  guide  who 
had  been  sent  with  Col.  Gosline  had  taken  the  wrong  road ; 
instead  of  turning  to  the  right  at  King  Street  and  marching 
out  the  Leesburg  Turnpike,  he  had  led  us  almost  due  south. 
So  soon  as  this  mistake  was  discovered  the  order  to  "  face 
about"  was  given,  and,  marching  left  in  front,  we  began  a 
retrograde  movement  which  might  have  proved  our  entire 
annihilation,  had  not  Providence  interposed,  in  the  shape  of 
some  wise  precautionary  measures,  but  a  moment  in  time. 

Marching  in  a  northwesterly  direction  across  the  country 
towards  Fairfax  Seminary,  our  guide  thought  to  lessen  the 
distance  to  Gen.  Franklin's  headquarters  (our  point  of  desti 
nation  being  near  that  place).  But  in  so  doing  he  had  led  the 
regiment  nearly  up  to  the  guns  of  Fort  Ellsworth  (blunder 
No.  2),  the  garrison  of  which  had  no  knowledge  of  our  being 
on  the  road,  and  already  alarmed,  were  prepared  to  give  us  a 
warm  reception  with  grape  and  canister,  having  taken  us  to 
be  a  body  of  the  enemy,  coming  from  the  direction  which  we 
did  and  through  the  darkness,  now  about  9  P.  M.  A  halt 
was  at  once  ordered  and  an  explanation  made,  when  we  were 
ordered  on.  Passing  Fort  Ellsworth,  we  struck  a  road  run 
ning  between  Shuter's  Hill  and  Alexandria  Heights.  Cross 
ing  the  Leesburg  Turnpike  we  marched  north,  and  about 
10.30  P.  M.  arrived  at  the  headquarters  of  Brig.-Gen.  John 
Newton,  having  been  assigned  to  the  command  of  that  officer, 
which  formed  the  third  brigade  of  Gen.  Franklin's  division 


19 

of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  (which  organization  had  just 
been  completed). 

Passing  through  the  camp  of  the  Eighteenth  New  York 
Volunteers,  we  halted  just  a  little  north  of  their  encampment 
and  occupied  "  Camp  Franklin,"  previously  used  hy  Col.  J. 
McLeod  Murphy's  Engineers  (Fifteenth  K  Y.  S.  V.).  As 
soon  as  our  arrival  hecame  known  throughout  the  brigade,  a 
general  feeling  of  friendship  sprung  up  which  will  never  be 
forgotten.  Tents  and  cook-houses  were  thrown  open  alike, 
and  shelter  and  food  given  to  our  fatigued  and  hungry  men. 

We  had  marched  all  day  through  the  dust  without  food 
save  a  scant  lunch,  partaken  of  before  crossing  the  Potomac. 
To  add  to  the  misery  of  this  unfortunate  march,  the  regi 
mental  teams  became  mired  about  six  miles  below,  and  so 
remained  until  the  next  day.  Ever  green  be  the  love  in  our 
hearts  for  the  extraordinary  kindness  of  the  Eighteenth  New 
York.  Grateful  members  of  the  Ninety-fifth  Pennsylvania 
will  ever  cherish  its  memory  for  the  manner  in  which  they 
were  entertained  by  them  on  that  occasion,  and  the  kindly 
fire  kindled  that  night  to  warm  us  burned  brightly  to  the 
end.  The  two  regiments  seemed  not  to  live  for  themselves 
alone  but  for  each  other ;  and  often  on  the  weary  march  and 
on  the  bloody  battle-field  shared  one  another s  fare.  This 
friendly  feeling  existed  alike  in  both  officers  and  men. 

The  morning  of  the  31st  was  bracing  and  bright.  Some 
what  rested  and  refreshed  we  began  clearing  the  ground,  and 
upon  the  arrival  of  our  teams  about  10  A.  M.  (for  which  it 
was  necessary  to  send  a  detail  to  help  them  out  of  their  diffi 
culties),  w^e  began  the  work  of  arranging  camp  in  the  fol 
lowing  order  :— 

A,  F,  D,  I,  and  C  right  wing,  B,  G,  K,  H,  and  E  left  wing, 
with  the  company's  streets  running  east  and  west. 

The  "A"  or  "wedge"  tents  being  pitched  on  the  north  and 
south  sides  with  all  the  uniformity  of  military  precision ;  at 
the  eastern  approach  to  each  company's  street  was  pitched  the 
officers'  marques,  and  east  of  these,  and  about  the  centre  ol 
the  eastern  boundary  was  the  colonel's  headquarters  and  regi 
mental  staff,  the  whole  forming  a  delightful  retreat  and 


20 

pretty  encampment.  The  western  approach  was  reserved  for 
a  drill  and  parade  ground,  and  being  level  it  therefore  offered 
splendid  advantages  for  field  movements.  This  land  was  a 
part  of  the  property  belonging  to  the  Rebel  General  Robert  E. 
Lee,  and  was  about  two  miles  and  a  half  west  of  Alexandria 
and  about  midway  between  the  Leesburg  Turnpike  and  the 
Alexandria,  Loudon,  and  Hampshire  Railroad,  in  the  vicinity 
of  Four  Mile  Run — a  small  stream  which  flows  into  the  Poto 
mac  about  four  and  a  half  miles  above  Alexandria. 

Gen.  Franklin's  Brigade  (now  Newton's)  was  organized  on 
the  4th  of  August,  1861,  and  was  the  Seventh  Brigade  of 
Gen.  McClellan's  "preliminary  organization,"  at  that  time 
the  "Division  of  the  Potomac;"  it  was  now  composed  of  the 
following  troops,  viz.,  Eighteenth  New  York  Volunteers 
(Albany  Rifles),  Col.  William  A.  Jackson;  Thirty-first  New 
York  Volunteers  ("Montezuma  Battalion"),  Col.  Calvin  E. 
Pratt;  Thirty-second  New  York  Volunteers  (First  California), 
Col.  Roderick  Matherson;  and  the  Ninety-fifth  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  at  this  time  known  as  the  Forty- 
fifth  Pennsylvania. 

The  troops  of  Franklin's  Division,  with  two  or  three  excep 
tions,  had  taken  part  in  the  battle  of  Bull's  Run,  Franklin's 
old  Brigade  being  then  under  the  command  of  Col.  Thomas 
A.  Davis,  whose  own  regiment,  the  Sixteenth  New  York 
(now  of  Slocum's  Brigade),  was  also  attached  to  his  command. 

CoL  Davis's  command  in  the  battle  of  Bull's  Run  consti 
tuted  the  Second  Brigade  of  the  Fifth  Division. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  Newton's  Brigade,  first  com 
manded  by  Col.  Davis  (afterward  Brigadier  General),  next  by 
General  Franklin,  became  the  nucleus  around  which  the  great 
Sixth  Corps  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  grew  up  and  spread 
its  branches  over  so  many  bloody  fields  in  the  South  ;  extend 
ing  its  power  and  increasing  its  might  until  it  became  a  terror 
to  the  conspirators  and  branded  its  appellation — the  "  Bloody 
Sixth" — with  fire  and  sword  upon  the  Confederacy,  and 
lapped  the  last  gore  from  the  Rebellion's  heart  through  the 
veins  of  Petersburg.  One  or  two  incidents  of  our  camp  life 
in  old  Camp  Franklin  may  not  be  uninteresting  at  this  time. 


21 

On  the  10th  of  February  we  experienced  our  first  difficulty 
with  the  bayonet — for  the  drill  known  as  "McClellan's  Bayo 
net  Exercise/'  was  to  be  added  to  our  manual.  We  had 
already  had  squad,  company,  battalion,  and  brigade  drill; 
skirmish  drill  and  target  shooting,  and  now  the  "  French"  or 
"  McClellan's  Bayonet  Exercises"  must  have  a  place  in  our 
code  of  tactics. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  conceive  more  ludicrous  attitudes 
than  those  presented  in  this  exercise.  To  at  once  assume  the 
proper  position  was  a  difficulty  not  easily  overcome,  and  re 
quired  much  practice.  It  was,  too,  the  first  time  we  had  ever 
attempted  anything  so  intricate  in  the  way  of  drill  requiring 
so  much  skill  and  fine  judgment,  and  it  was  no  wonder  when 
the  command  "guard"  was  given  that  many  did  not  know 
what  to  do,  and  in  following  the  example  set  by  a  non-com 
missioned  officer,  that  they  at  once  endeavored  to  imitate  a 
pair  of  scissors  stuck  in  the  ground,  or  a  half-imbedded  cork 
screw  struggling  for  liberty,  and  it  was  no  wonder  that  when 
the  command  was  given,  "  leap  to  the  rear,"  that  many  lost 
their  equilibrium  and  went  head  over  heels,  greatly  to  the 
amusement  of  their  comrades,  who  had  acted  "  leap  frog"  a 
little  more  satisfactorily  to  themselves.  However,  time  and 
much  persistent  drilling  brought  about  the  desired  result,  and 
long  ere  the  spring  opened  all  these  difficulties  had  been  over 
come.* 


*  Attached  to  the  regiment  was  a  drum  and  fife  corps,  which,  after 
much  persistent  practice,  upon  reaching  the  field,  became  a  useful  adjunct 
to  the  command.  Recruits  for  a  drum  corps  generally  were  taken  into  the 
woods  adjacent  to  their  camp,  and  there  taught  to  beat  the  drum  for 
several  hours  a  day,  until  they  became  proficient.  The  first  exercise  given 
to  a  pupil  on  the  drum  is  "  De  Dada,  mama,"  "  dada,  mama,"  and  is  known 
as  "  Daddy,  Mammy."  The  racket  and  din  kept  up  by  the  students  of  this 
noisy  instrument  were  something  awful,  and  gave  rise  to  the  following 
rhymes : — 

"  Dada  mama,"  "  dada  mama," 
"  Dada  mama,"  dada  mama." 
"  Flamadiddle,"  "  Paraddidle," 
"  Flamadiddle,"  "  Faradiddle." 

" Do,"  " Do,"  "Do," 
3 


At  dress  parade  one  morning  a  little  incident  occurred 
which  created  quite  a  stir  in  camp.  About  midway  on  the 
parade  ground  was  a  certain  mark  to  indicate  the  command 
ing  officer's  position  when  the  battalion  was  on  parade.  At 
this  spot  some  one  had  placed  a  very  neat,  square  package, 
done  up  in  white  paper  and  marked  thus— 
"  Fit  for  hogs,  not  tor  Goslines." 

On  this  object  the  keen  eyes  of  Col.  Gosline  soon  fell,  and 
during  the  formation  of  the  battalion  he  picked  up  the  pack 
age  and  examined  its  contents — finding  it  to  contain  about 
half  a  dozen  flint-like  and  mildewed  army  crackers  (having 
stamped  upon  one  side  "  Pilot  Bread,  1810").  which  were  so 
worm-eaten  and  mouldy  that  they  could  not  be  used  by  the 
men.  Some  persons  unknown  to  the  colonel  had  placed  this 
package  as  we  have  just  stated.  It  is  useless  to  say  to  those 
who  knew  Col.  Gosline,  that  a  few  hours  later  two  companies 
of  the  Ninety-fifth  were  seen  wending  their  way  towards  the 
Little  River  Turnpike  for  a  three  days'  tour  of  picket  duty, 
and  it  was  not  their  regular  turn  either. 

All  day  long  I  hear  some  kid,  till 

Weary  of  the  drum  I  grow. 
"Yankee  Doodle,"  "Wood  Up,"  "General," 
"  Doublings,"  "  Troop,"  and  "  Saul"  for  funeral, 
"  Double  Quick,"  "Retreat,"  and  "Water  Call," 
"Police,"  "  Cease  Firing,"  and  "  beat"  for  "drummers  all," 
"  Peas  upon"  u  Entrenchments,"  "Come,  get  your  Quinine," 
The  "  Quick  Retreat,"  "Attention,"—"  fall  in"— line  ! 
"All  Sergeants  Call  "     Those  ebony  devils  o'er 

The  parchment  roar, 
And  thus  it  is  the  Sergeants  answer — 

"  'All  present,  or  accounted  for.'  " 

How  I  wish  his  "  dad  lie-diddle," 

"  Double  Drag,"  and  "  fiddle-fuddle," 
"  Ruff,"  and  "  Flam,"  and  "  Paradiddle  ;" 

"  Tattoo,"  "Taps,"  and  "Single  Draggle," 
Had  followed  the  cow  in  "  High  ding  diddle," 

Or,  been  with  "  Mac"  in  some  "Skedaddle," 
Ere  he  learned  to  "diddle  daddle." 

Camp  near  White  Oak  Church,  Va.,  February,  1863. 


23 

The  long  dreary  winter  past,  and  the  seeds  of  discipline 
sown  in  Camp  Franklin  were  to  bring  forth  their  fruit.  Our 
promenade  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  to  Fairfax  Court- 
House  and  Manassas  and  return,  through  disappointment  and 
mud,  to  our  old  camp,  were  choice  morsels  for  army  gossip  ; 
then  came  the  second  movement  in  the  direction  of  Manassas; 
the  detachment  of  a  large  portion  of  McClellan's  army  (the 
First  Corps  now  under  Gen.  McDowell,  of  which  the  Ninety- 
fifth  was  a  part)  which  breaking  into  our  Chief's  plans,  Gen. 
Franklin,  our  first  and  beloved  division  Commander,  called 
the  "  First  Great  Crime  of  the  War."  Doubtless  many  of 
you,  my  comrades,  remember  the  gusto  occasioned  by  the  re 
ception  of  an  order  received  whilst  on  the  march  from  Bristoe 
Station,  a  locality  remembered  only  for  its  misery  and  red 
clay,  to  u  about-face"  and  return  to  Alexandria,  and  it  was 
this  order  that  bent  our  course  Peninsulaward.  At  West 
Point,  on  the  seventh  of  May  (1862),  the  Ninety-fifth  received 
its  baptism  of  fire,  and  had  the  honor  of  opening  the  fight  at 
that  place ;  here  its  first  blood  was  spilled  for  the  Union,  and 
its  first  experience  in  the  horrors  of  war  obtained.  Captain 
Beattes,  of  Company  D,  was  the  first  commissioned  officer  of 
the  regiment  wounded,  and  was  the  victim  of  an  explosive 
bullet.  Here  we  encountered  the  famous  "  Texas  Rangers" 
and  Wade  Hampton's  "  Legion"  of  South  Carolina,  and  also 
saw  for  the  first  time,  what  we  had  often  read  about,  our  men 
with  their  throats  cut  and  bodies  shockingly  mutilated. 
The  fighting  was  done  principally  by  Newton's  Brigade,  the 
Thirty-first  New  York  Volunteers  and  Ninety-fifth  Pennsyl 
vania  Volunteers  sustaining  the  greatest  loss. 

Our  arrival  before  Richmond,  reached  by  pleasant  canton 
ments  among  the  sweet  pines'*  of  Virginia,  and  encampment  on 

*  The  Pines  of  Virginia  often  played  an  important  part  in  the  history  of 
our  army  life,  and  were  many  times  the  theme  of  some  poetic  effusion.  The 
erection  of  bowers  to  ward  off  the  sunbeams;  construction  of  picket-huts  and 
corduroying  the  roads.  The  use  of  pine  wood  for  fuel  which,  when  green, 
would  emit  a  nasty,  disordering  smoke,  damaging  to  the  sight.  We  used 
to  cut  pine  branches  with  which  to  decorate  our  camp  on  festive  occasions,  and 
many  times,  whilst  on  the  march  through  some  dense  thicket,  have  had  the 


24 

tho  border  of  the  miasmatic  Chickahominy  in  the  midst  of 
diarrhea  and  death  are  among  the  things  we  never  can  forget. 

springy  limbs  of  some  stubborn  bush  fly  back  and  switch  our  faces.  The 
charcoal  burner,  also,  had  his  abode  in  the  pines,  before  Richmond.  The 
following  lines  were  written  after  a  varied  experience  among  the  pines,  much 
like  the  above,  and  are  supposed  to  be  an  Eastern  soldier  addressing  the 
pines  upon  different  occasions.  The  lines  should  be  read  in  a  nasal  tone  of 
voice,  and  after  the  manner  of  an  address. 

"YANK  IN  THE  PINE  WOODS." 

(Building  picket  huts.) 
Oh  !  vegetable  coniferous  ! 
Conoid  and  conoidical ! 
Consanguineous  of  the  "Balm  of  Gilead," 

Conjunctively  sylvanus, 
We  conquassate,  or  "  Yank"  thy  branches, 
And  in  consarcination  we  confiscate  thee  for  our  ranches. 

(Erecting  summer  bowers.) 
Oh  !  vegetable  resinous  ! 
We  "  Yanks''  guess 

That  thy  mellifluent  branches  will  "  just"  shelter  our  '•  mess," 
Whilst  we,  like  old  Bouzebeus,  sing. 
Or  with  the  rozin'd  bow  torment  the  string 
Of  some  old  "  fiddle"  thing. 

(In  winter  quarters,  fires  in  our  huts.) 
Oh  !  vegetable  lachrymary  ! 
Copiously  lachrymal ! 
Dost  ever, — don't  say  "  nary" — 

Note  the  lachrymation 
Thou  causest  us  to  lachrymate, 
When  we  ignite  thy  limbs  a  little  "  ig"  to  circulate, 
And  our  "  dwellings"  to  illuminate  ? 

Oh  !  much  vexed  question  of  light  and  vim, 
Fain  would  we  douse  thy  glim, 
Or  aus  thy  dark — black— effluvium. 
Thou  sight  disorderer  unto  our  "  mess," 
And  disturber  of  our  lithargickness. 

(Repairing  and  corduroying  the  roads.) 
Down,  busy  devil,  down,  and  say  I  laid  thee  there, 
One  more  "  corduroy"  thy  "seat"  to  repair, 


25 

On  the  18th  clay  of  June  we  crossed  the  Chickahominy,  and  on 
the  27th  of  the  same  month  the  disjointed  battle  of  Games  Mill 


Repair'd,  alas  !  not  as  "  mammy"  does  with  stitches, 
But  plastered  fast  to  thine  old  corduroy  •'  breeches," 
Perhaps,  a  blessing  from  some  tired  mule  we  may  inherit, 
(For  this  noble  action  of  our  spirit) 

Or,  a  "  cuss"  from  the  woodowner  in  which  "  cuss"  you  "  bet' 
The  "  Yanks"  are  never  left,  no  not  a  cuss'd  bit. 

(Marching  through  the  pine  woods.) 
Inspissated  turpentine,  or  wine,  or  juice  of  the  pine  ! 
Or,  by  whatever  name  thou  art  turned  into  rhin — 
0  !  low  limbed,  stiff-stem'd  setaceous  vegetable, 
Serviceable,  &a£erable  and  wedgit&ble, 

Dost  ever  think, 
How  thine  elastic  and  switchback  branches 

Cause  us  to  wink  ? 

(In  the  pines  before  Richmond.) 
Tar,  pitch,  or  turpentine, 

Or  by  any  other  line  (of  names  by  which  thou  art  known), 
Thou  art  a  mine  (of  wealth) 
To  the  pix  liquida  calx  of  old  North  K-line, 
When  charr'd  from  Jersey  pine  and  just  now  our  uncle's 

clime  requires  some  such  incineration  from  another  of  thy 
'  bosky  relation  (willow)  to  aid  him  at  his  ignivomous 

station,  which  literally  translated,  or  by  other  name 

means, 
Vomiting  fire  into  Richmond-on-the-Jeem's. 

(Among  the  pine  saplings.) 
Spinous  spiral,  thou  has  no  spissitude 

(That  is  grossness  or  backbone.) 
Like  thy  giant  relatives  bearing  larger  cone. 

Uncle  Samuel's  boys,  therefore, 
Will  not  tackle  thee  with  incendiary  paw, 
But  spare  thy  funicular  limbs, 
For  other  lore. 

(Among  the  pines,  Christmas  times.) 
Oh!  vegetable  coniferous — noel-like— Christmas, 
Yet,  thou  art  not  the  tree — Christmas — for  our  "  mess." 
Ours  be  a  crimson  one, 
Trimmed  by  some  "  son-of-a-gun," 
To  make  the  "  Johnnies"  run  ; 
There  be  "  nary"  a  sugar-plum 
For  us  in  this  business. 


26 

—the  2d  in  that  sanguinary  series,  known  as  the  seven  days 
before  Richmond  was  fought.  The  story  of  this  battle  (Gaines 
Mill)  is  a  tragic  one,  sanguinary,  terrible.  It  was  here  that  the 
brave  and  soldierly  Colonel  Gosline  fell.  It  was  here  that 
that  brave  soldier,  Major  Hubbs  fell,  and  Lieutenant  Ham 
ilton  Donohue  was  killed.  Captain  Edward  Carroll  and 
Lieutenant  Hugh  0.  Roberts  were  wounded,  and  Lieutenant 
Thomas  D.  G.  Chapman  was  taken  prisoner.  And  it  was 
here  that,  when  the  night  shut  out  the  horrors  of  the  day,  we 
came  to  realize  that  nearly  two  hundred  of  the  Ninety-fifth's 
officers  and  men  were  stiff  and  bleeding,  one  hundred  and 
sixty-nine  being  afterwards  accounted  for  as  killed  and 
wounded,  and  more  than  twenty-two  hundred  of  our  division 
were  dead  or  gasping  in  the  thick  woods  and  marshy  places 
along  the  Chickahominy. 

The  Ninety-fifth  shared  in  all  the  engagements  and  fatigues 
of  the  memorable  period — McClellan's  change  of  base — and 
reached  the  James  River  on  the  2d  of  July.  On  the  15th  of 
August,  at  the  evacuation  of  Harrison's  Landing,  we  marched 
to  Newport  News,  and  from  this  point  reached  Alexandria  by 
transport.  A  few  days  much-needed  rest  was  here  enjoyed, 
and  some  new  clothing  distributed  to  the  men.  The  terrible 
scenes  now  transpiring  on  the  plains  of  Manassas,  and  in  the 
vicinity  of  Bull's  Run,  in  Pope's  command,  suddenly  put  a  stop 
to  this  brief  respite,  and  the  regiment  with  its  corps  in  a 
forced  march,  after  much  dallying,  reached  the  ill-omened 
battle-field  just  when  the  red  tide  of  destruction  began  to  lash 
the  wreck  it  had  made,  and  hurl  the  debris  upon  the  high  hills 
thereabouts ;  it  was  here,  and  at  this  time,  that  the  tide  of 
death  was  stayed,  and  the  enemy  put  back  to  sea.  The  battle 

(Cutting  evergreens  for  our  tents.) 
We  fub  thy  death, 
Thou  needled  prickly  devil ! 

And  that's  where  these  coniferous  Yankee  caputs  are  level, 
We  shall  content  ourselves  by  plucking  the  sweet  cedars  hereabouts, 
Our  tents  to  grace, 
And  leave  thy  pesky  knouts, 
To  our  foes  cinque  pace. 

Near  Bank's  Ford,  Ya.  (Burnside's  Mud  March),  Jan.  22,  1863. 


27 

and  storming  of  Crompton's  Pass,  in  the  South  Mountain,  on 
the  14th  of  September,  1862,  was  a  brilliant  little  affair,  and  it 
was  all  our  own ;  I  mean,  it  was  the  work  of  our  first  division. 
It  was  a  beautiful  Sabbath  morning,  in  the  early  autumn,  and 
it  was  a  glorious  victory ;  the  first  after  so  many  defeats,  it 
acted  as  a  new  inspiration.  It  was  here  that  the  Ninety-fifth 
in  advance  of  its  brigade,  in  a  spirited  charge  up  the  acclivi 
ties  of  South  Mountain,  nearly  one  thousand  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  green  fields  at  its  base,  put  the  rebels  to  route, 
capturing  many  prisoners,  a  piece  of  artillery,  and  the  entire 
paraphernalia  of  Anderson's  rebel  division.  The  gun  taken 
by  us  was  a  pet  piece  with  our  enemy,  having  the  name 
"  Jennie"  painted  upon  the  limber,  and  some  other  lettering 
which  stated  that  it  was  presented  to  a  Georgia  battery  by 
the  patriotic  ladies  of  that  State.  Horses,  caisson,  all  com 
plete,  were  captured  with  the  "  Jennie."  The  Ninety-fifth 
next  marched  with  its  division  to  Antietam.  We  were  hur 
ried  into  that  action  just  as  Stonewall  Jackson's  victorious  men 
were  sweeping  the  forests  and  ploughed  fields  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  little  Dunker  Church,  and  the  scene  was  blue  with 
fleeing  Nationals.  We  were  hastily  formed  from  a  marching 
to  a  charging  column,  and  though  worn  down  with  fatigue 
and  worried  by  heat  and  dust,  we  forced  the  Confederates  back 
to  "bloody  lane"  and  "Hooker's  woods,"  holding  the  ground 
in  front  of  the  "  Dunker  Church"  and  the  "  dead  line,"  "  bloody 
cornfield"  and  "  bloody  lane,"  receiving  the  congratulations 
of  Generals  Franklin,  Slocum,  and  Newton,  for  this  opportune 
stay  of  a  fresh  onslaught  of  the  enemy.  The  battle  of  Fred- 
ericksburg,  December  12th  to  16th  (a  dire  failure),  was  a  dark 
period  for  us  ;  \ve  were  under  a  new  commander — Gen.  Burn- 
side — and  this  disaster  to  our  arms  led  to  the  darkest  times  in 
our  Nation's  history,  no  pay  from  "  Uncle  Sam,"  loud  com 
plaints  about  our  Commissary,  and  "shoddy"  clothing,  sick 
ness,  death,  desertion,  and  "  Burnside  stick-in-the  mud,"  in 
which  we  all  took  a  miry  bath,  followed.  Under  Gen.  Hooker, 
Burnside's  successor,  in  February,  1863,  our  condition  was 
much  improved,  and  we  enjoyed  a  season  of  rapid  changes  for 
the  better ;  Gen.  Hooker's  mode  of  procedure  worked  miracles 


28 

in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  the  darkness  which  o'erhung 
the  Union  camps  was  soon  dispelled,  and  in  a  few  weeks' 
time  our  new  commander,  "  Fighting  Joe,"  succeeded  in  orga 
nizing  what  he  was  pleased  to  term  the  finest  army  on  the 
planet.  On  the  28th  of  April,  1863,  we  left  our  winter  camp— 
our  comfortable  quarters  around  White  Oak  Church — and  at 
the  first  peep  of  day  on  the  29th  accomplished  a  hazardous 
undertaking,  for  which  we  of  the  Ninety-fifth,  and  one  other 
regiment — the  One  hundred  and  nineteenth  Pennsylvania — had 
been  especially  selected.  This  was  the  crossing  of  the  Rappa- 
hannock,  surprising  the  enemy's  pickets,  and  the  seizure  of 
his  works,  which  commanded  the  vicinity  of  Franklin's  cross 
ing.  "With  what  trembling  anxiety  we  embarked  in  those 
shaky,  unwieldy  scows,  the  forty  pontoons  set  apart  for  our 
mission,  these  reminiscences  may  awaken  the  mind  afresh  to. 
And  freighted  down  as  we  were,  too,  provisioned  for  eight 
days,  and  transformed  into  portable  ammunition  magazines, 
for  we  had  one  hundred  rounds  of  cartridges  hidden  somewhere 
about  us  in  our  secret  places  for  thunder.  Do  you  ever  think 
of  those  times,  boys,  without  heaving  a  sigh  of  relief  ?  On 
the  3d  of  May,  about  noon,  our  gallant  second  division,  under 
Gen.  Howe,  stormed  and  carried  Mary's  Heights,  the  Gibraltar 
of  Virginia,  and  the  blood  hill  of  1862.  The  3d  of  May  was  a 
beautiful  Sabbath  day,  and  the  trees  and  bushes  w^ere  all  redo 
lent  with  the  songsters  of  Old  Virginia  ;  but  there  were  other 
songsters  in  Old  Virginia  at  this  time,  and  these  were  Sedg- 
wick's  boys  in  blue ;  we  were  happy,  shouting  and  singing ; 
the  Heights  were  ours,  and  the  celebrated  Washington  Battery 
was  among  the  trophies  won. 

Let  me  give  you  a  little  picture  of  what  befell  our  first 
division.  As  usual,  it  was  another  battle  Sunday.  How  we 
quicken  our  pace  as  we  enter  Fredericksburg,  and  seek  its  en 
virons  ;  our  first  division  now  takes  the  lead,  and  how  we 
snuff  the  fray  impatiently  a  little  way  off.  Russell's  Brigade, 
at  this  time  consists  of  two  small  battalions,  the  One  hun 
dred  and  nineteenth  and  Ninety-fifth  Pennsylvania.  Its  com 
panions,  two  years'  troops  are  upon  another  part  of  the  field; 
Bartlett's  Brigade  takes  the  left  of  the  Gordonsville  Plank 


29 

Road,  and  from  our  gallant  "Jersey  boys,"  the  first  brigade, 
a  line  of  skirmishers  is  thrown  forward.  The  "Johnnies"  are 
on  the  go,  but  they  halt  once  in  awhile,  and  dispute  the  road 
with  us.  This  sort  of  thing,  however,  becomes  monotonous,  for 
we  have  had  about  three  miles  of  it,  and  we  make  a  rush, 
bent  upon  making  a  big  haul  of  the  enemy,  and  clearing  the 
way  for  a  free  advance,  that  we  may  join  the  forces  on  our 
right,  to  whither  we  have  been  ordered.  But  this  was  the 
beginning  of  the  disaster  of  the  day,  on  our  part  of  the  line. 
Just  in  front  stands  Salem  Church,  which  is  a  kind  of  citadel 
for  our  enemy,  and  as  we  dash  forward  the  blaze  and  smoke 
from  ten  thousand  rifles,  and  a  counter-charge  of  the  rebels 
upon  either  unprotected  flank,  send  us  back  to  the  shelter  of 
our  batteries ;  not,  however,  without  much  stubborn  resist 
ance  on  our  part ;  'tis  a  fearful  moment,  and  the  batteries  on 
both  sides  are  aiding  in  the  work  of  destruction ;  that  old 
and  peculiar  "yell"  is  heard  above  the  din,  and  the  air 
trembles  with  strange  noises.  McLaw's  and  Anderson's  Divi 
sions  have  reached  this  part  of  the  field,  sent  down  from 
Lee's  front,  and  our  devoted  little  band  of  ten  small  battalions 
are  now  out-flanked  and  o'erwhelmecl.  Again  the  Ninety- 
fifth  has  been  torn  to  pieces,  and  many  of  its  noblest  soldiers 
bite  the  dust  whilst  struggling  in  their  bloody  rags. 

Our  gallant  Col.  Town,  whose  heroic  form  lent  a  certain 
charm  to  our  soldier  life,  was  killed  whilst  inspiring  in  sten 
torian  tones  his  little  command  to  deeds  of  valor.  That  true 
and  gentlemanly  soldier,  Lieut.-Col.  Elisha  Hall,  was  also 
killed,  Adjutant  Eugene  D.  Dunton  was  killed,  and  Major 
Thomas  J.  Town  was  painfully  wounded ;  nearly  two  hun 
dred  of  the  Ninety-fifth's  officers  and  men  were  down,  and 
the  regimental  organization  completely  shattered.  Thirteen 
commissioned  officers,  five  of  whom  were  killed  and  eight 
wounded,  and  one  hundred  and  sixty-nine  enlisted  men  were 
killed  and  wounded,  and  thirty-seven  prisoners  were  the  total 
casualties  in  the  Ninety-fifth  in  this  engagement.  Never  did 
men  bear  up  better  under  adversities  like  these  than  did  that 
handful  of  heroes  of  the  Ninety-fifth  when  ordered  to  picket 
the  field  the  night  of  that  battle. 


30 

On  the  6th  of  June  the  Ninety-fifth  crossed  the  Rappahan- 
nock  for  the  third  time,  and  shared  in  the  dangerous  opera 
tions  on  its  former  line,  Mary's  Heights  and  Fredericksburc;; 
and  in  that  great  campaign,  the  second  Maryland,  Pennsyl 
vania,  and  Gettysburg,  it  was  with  Sedgwick  when  the  Sixth 
Corps  made  the  greatest  march  on  record  to  reach  any  battle 
field.  Thirty-nine  miles  in  nine  hours'  marching,  and  it 
reached  the  field,  too,  when  its  presence  was  most  needed, 
burnt  out  by  a  July  sun  and  almost  unrecognizable  by  dust. 

On  the  third  of  July  it  shared  in  the  manoeuvres  of  the 
Sixth  Corps,  when  scarcely  two  brigades  of  that  corps  were 
together;  the  major  portion  of  its  regiments  being  sent  hither 
and  thither  to  reinforce  our  struggling  comrades.  One  of  the 
cleanest  sweeps  ever  made  of  the  Confederates  was  that  by 
Gen.  "  Dave"  Russell  and  Col.  (afterwards  Maj.-Gen.)  Emory 
Upton's  brigades  at  Rappahannock  Station  on  the  7th  of 
November,  1863. 

More  than  sixteen  hundred  prisoners  (chiefly  from  the  cele 
brated  "  Louisiana  Tigers"),  eight  battle  flags,  four  cannon, 
two  thousand  small  arms,  and  one  pontoon  bridge  were  the 
trophies  in  this  pretty  affair,  and  the  Ninety-fifth  had  a  share 
in  it. 

Meade's  campaign  of  manoeuvres,  which  culminated  in  the 
battle  of  Locust  Grove  on  the  27th  of  November,  1863,  and 
our  sufferings  in  the  demonstrations  in  the  Wilderness,  on  the 
line  of  Mine  Run,  in  the  stormy  and  bitter  weather  of  De 
cember,  closed  a  year  in  which  we  had  enjoyed  but  little  rest. 

Our  encampment  on  the  romantic  Hazel  River,  in  Culpepper 
County,  on  the  property  of  the  celebrated  John  Minor  Botts, 
was  a  season  of  real  enjoyment,  and  our  camp-fires  burned  to 
some  purpose.  We  had  crossed  the  Hazel  by  special  permis 
sion,  and  our  pretty  encampment  in  one  of  Botts's  stately 
forests,  with  its  marvellous  cabins  and  officers'  quarters,  all 
the  handiwork  of  Yankee  craftsmen,  was  a  wonder  in  its 
way,  with  its  miles  of  corduroy  footways.  It  was  called  the 
model  camp  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  was  more  than 
once  the  subject  of  correspondence  North. 

Whilst  at  this  camp  two  hundred  and  forty -five  of  the 


31 

original  members  of  the  Ninety-fifth  re-enlisted  for  a  second 
term  of  service,  being  the  first  regiment  in  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  to  re-enlist  as  an  organization,  and  the  value  of  this 
example  set  by  the  regiment  to  the  army,  Gen.  Upton  was 
not  slow  to  acknowledge  in  his  indorsement  upon  all  our  regi 
mental  documents  at  this  time. 

However,  the  spring  of  1864  drew  nigh  and  with  it  a  new 
commander,  Gen.  Grant,  who  made  his  headquarters  with  us, 
and  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  reorganized.  We  began 
the  great  campaign  under  Grant  on  the  4th  of  May,  1864, 
reaching  the  Wilderness  the  evening  of  that  date.  From 
now  until  the  crossing  of  the  James  River  the  story  is  one  of 
blood  and  carnage,  and  for  forty  days  and  nights  it  was  one 
continuous  battle.  Our  beloved  and  much  lamented  Lieut.- 
Col.  Edward  Carroll  ("  Lame  Ned,"  as  the  boys  delighted  to 
call  him)  was  killed  whilst  in  command  of  the  regiment  on 
the  5th,  shot  dead  almost  at  the  first  volley  from  the  hidden 
foe  in  one  of  the  waste  places  of  nature  in  the  Wilderness,  so 
wild  and  forbidden  that  we  were  compelled  to  crawl  like 
snakes  whilst  worming  our  bodies  through  some  devilish  entan 
glement. 

In  the  evening  of  the  6th  of  May  the  Ninety-fifth  was 
caught  in  the  whirlwind  which  demolished  the  right  of  our 
line,  under  Seymour  and  Shaler,  and  with  its  little  brigade 
was  dashed  to  pieces ;  but,  thank  God,  we  had  a  Sedgwick,  an 
Upton,  and  a  Russell  with  us,  who  quickly  put  the  pieces  to 
gether  again,  and  the  illustrious  Wright  and  Upton,  with  the 
aid  of  the  "North  Star"  mended  the  entire  right  flank  of  our 
army.  It  was  the  Ninety-fifth  boys  that  Upton  chose  to  assist 
him  in  this  dangerous  work  amidst  the  blackness  of  darkness, 
and  we  succeeded  too. 

On  the  8th  we  shared  in  the  preliminary  engagements  in 
reaching  Spottsylvania  Court  House — Alsop's  Farm — and  on 
the  9th,  a  day  long  to  be  remembered,  the  enemy  robbed  us 
of  our  corps  chief,  grand  old  John  Sedgwick,  the  sublime,  who 
was  so  familiarly  known  to  us  all  as  u  Uncle  John." 


32 

"  Oh  noble  Sixth  Corps— tried  and  true  Sixth  Corps, 
Though  you  have  been  saddened  by  the  death  of  many  comrades, 
Did  you  ever  weep  for  a  comrade  like  this  ? 
Are  your  deeds  so  high,  your  banners  so  glorious  now, 
That  he  who  directed  them  is  fallen  ? 

Are  your  lost  ones  so  low,  now  that  he  slumbers  among  them? 
Ah,  well  may  you  speak  softly, 
Lips  that  have  shouted  defiance  ; 

Well  may  you  toll  softly  guns  that  have  rung  conquest  at  his  will. 
He  sleeps  !     Let  the  battle  sleep  for  a  time — 
He  honored  the  battle,  let  the  battle  do  him  honor." 

On  the  bloody  10th  of  May  the  regiment  was  on  the  skir 
mish  line,  and  towards  evening  was  with  the  twelve  picked 
regiments  which  stormed  and  carried  the  rebel  works  upon 
the  ridges  around  Spottsylvania  Court  House,  charging  into 
that  hell  caldron  near  the  famous  salient,  capturing  nearly 
eleven  hundred  prisoners  and  nine  cannon  besides  numerous 
colors  and  accomplishing  the  destruction  of  two  rebel  bri 
gades — Kodes'  and  Doles'.  This  charging  column  was  again 
led  by  the  gallant  young  Upton,  and  its  glorious  results  were 
the  first  approach  to  victory  since  the  opening  of  the  cam 
paign.  The  price  paid  for  it,  though,  was  a  great  one — our 
best  blood  being  poured  out.  Unfortunately,  however,  the 
captured  works  could  not  be  held,  and  we  were  obliged  to 
retire  leaving  the  guns  behind. 

On  the  12th  of  May  took  place  the  most  desperate  struggle 
of  which  history  gives  any  account.  The  battle  at  Spottsyl 
vania  Court  House — the  "  Bloody  Angle,"  the  "  Slaughter 
Peri."  This  was  the  point  of  Gen.  Hancock's  fait  d'armes  at 
day-dawn  on  the  12th.  The  battle  raged  furiously  for  four 
teen  hours,  and  it  was  here  that  we  cut  down  the  famous  red 
oak ;  it  was  here  that  within  a  space  of  three  hundred  yards 
thirteen  hundred  and  twenty  dead  rebels,  all  shot  in  and  about 
the  head  and  face,  lay  the  next  morning.  It  was  here,  too, 
that  every  mounted  officer  and  man  was  dismounted  in  a 
moment  of  time,  and  it  was  here  that  we  expended  four  hun 
dred  rounds  of  ammunition  per  man.  And  it  was  here  that 
the  Kinety-fifth  won  imperishable  laurels. 

We  append  in  a  note  what  Gen.  Upton  says  in  his  official 


33 

report  concerning  that  action,  and  which   he  a  short  time 
before  his  unhappy  end  repeated  in  a  letter  to  the  writer.* 

*  "  FORT  MONROE,  Ya., 

August  31,  1878. 
DEAR  SIR  : — 

The  following  are  some  of  the  facts  relative  to  the  battle  at  the  "Angle," 
near  Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  on  the  twelfth  of  May,  eighteen  hundred  and 
sixty-four. 

On  the  morning  of  that  day  the  Sixth  Corps  was  in  rear  of  the  right  of 
the  army,  but  on  the  receipt  of  the  news  that  Hancock's  Corps  had  cap 
tured  several  thousand  prisoners  and  a  large  portion  of  the  works  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Lendrum  House,  it  was  ordered  to  that  point  as  a  support. 
Our  brigade  was  at  the  rear  of  the  corps,  and  when  the  corps  got  into  posi 
tion,  occupied  the  right  of  the  line.  The  brigade  had  scarcely  halted  when 
I  received  orders  to  move  in  double  time  to  the  support  of  the  right  of  the 
Second  Corps.  Starting  the  brigade  in  double  time,  the  Ninety-fifth  Penn 
sylvania  leading,  I  galloped  to  the  crest  at  the  "Angle,"  and  from  thence 
could  see  the  right  of  our  troops  extending  along  the  works  to  the  point 
where  the  twelve  regiments  of  our  corps  made  the  assault  on  the  tenth.  1 
could  also  see  a  second  line  of  works,  the  same  we  encountered  and  captured 
on  the  tenth  ;  about  one  hundred  or  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  in  front  of 
the  line  then  in  our  possession.  This  second  line  appeared  to  be  unoccupied. 
After  reconnoitring  the  position,  I  rode  back  to  the  head  of  the  Ninety- 
fifth,  ordered  it  to  take  a  steady  step,  and  then  conducting  it  to  t;,e  crest, 
intending  to  pass  over  it  and  move  on  to  the  right  of  the  line. 

But  on  arriving  at  the  crest  I  saw  that  the  flank  of  the  troops  had  been 
turned,  and  that  they  had  been  compelled  to  abandon  the  intrenchments  to 
the  point  where  I  then  stood.  A  moment  after,  as  the  head  of  the  Ninety- 
fifth,  still  marching  in  double  time,  crowned  the  crest,  it  received  the  full  fire 
of  a  line  of  battle,  occupying  the  second  line  of  works,  already  referred  to. 
Instead  of  attempting  to  go  over  the  crest,  the  head  of  the  regiment  inclined 
to  the  right;  it  then  followed  the  crest  until  the  left  or  rear  rested  on  the 
works,  when  I  caused  the  men  to  lie  down  and  open  fire. 

Had  the  regiment  given  way,  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  fruits  of 
the  gallant  charge  of  the  Second  Corps  in  the  morning  would  have  been  lost. 
But  in  a  few  moments  the  One  hundred  and  twenty-first  New  York,  the 
Ninety-sixth  Pennsylvania,  and  the  Fifth  Maine  came  to  its  support;  while 
the  Jersey  Brigade  passrd  into  the  woods  on  the  right.  Shortly  after,  the 
whole  of  the  First  Division,  Sixth  Corps,  was  engaged  at  the  "Angle,"  and 
immediately  to  its  left  our  right. 

At. the  point  where  our  line  diverged  from  the  works,  the  Union  and  Con 
federate  soldiers  were  face  to  face.  A  few  yards  to  the  enemy's  left  (our 
right)  were  the  traverses  of  a  four-gun  battery,  which  had  been  captured  in 
the  morning.  It  was  between  these  traverses,  which  proved  a  charnel-house 


34 

One  hundred  and  ten  of  the  Ninety-fifth  were  killed  and 
wounded  at  the  Angle,  and,  strange  to  say,  eleven  of  the 
wounded  men  had  the  left  arm  amputated.  Not  more  than 
one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  men  answered  roll-call  for  duty 
in  the  Ninety-fifth  after  this  battle. 

Two  days  later,  on  the  14th,  we  were  thrown  across  the  Ni 
.River  and  participated  in  one  of  the  hottest  little  pieces  of 
work  that  it  has  ever  been  our  lot  to  engage  in.  This  was  a 
diabolical  affair,  and  was  known  as  Bleak  Hill  or  the  Gait 
House.  A  day  or  two  after  this  our  fast  thinning  brigade 
numbered  but  eight  hundred  and  thirty  muskets,  exactly  one- 
half  with  which  we  had  crossed  the  Rapidan  (and  the  losses 
were  the  same  throughout  the  army). 

The  battles  of  North  and  South  Anna  River  and  destruc 
tion  of  the  Virginia  Central  Railroad  must  not  be  forgotten, 
and  the  Ninety-fifth,  too,  had  the  honor  of  being  the  first  in 
fantry  to  cross  the  Pamunkey  River,  accomplishing  this  in  an 
all-night  march  with  Sheridan's  cavalry,  in  which  we  caused 
our  four-footed  brothers  to  rest  first. 


to  the  Confederates,  that  they  kept  up  a  more  or  less  continuous  fire  during 
the  day,  and,  as  I  was  informed,  till  nearly  three  o'clock  next  morning,  when 
they  abandoned  the  position. 

The  tree  was  not  the  only  evidence  of  the  amount  and  accuracy  of  our  fire. 
The  top  logs  of  the  works  and  the  traverses  were  splintered  like  brush- 
brooms,  while  the  oak  abatis  in  front  was  completely  shot  away.  From 
nine-thirty  A.  M.  till  about  five-thirty  P.  M.,  when  our  brigade  was  relieved, 
these  traverses  were  immediately  in  our  front,  and  the  front  of  the  other 
brigades  of  the  Sixth  Corps  which  came  to  our  support. 

The  "  Angle"  was  first  captured  by  the  Second  Corps,  and  during  the 
prolonged  conflict  of  nearly  eighteen  hours,  was  held  chiefly  by  the  Sixth 
Corps. 

A  few  d.;ys  after  the  battle,  Major-General  Birney,  of  the  Second  Corps, 
volunteered  to  me  the  information  that  in  his  official  report  he  would  give 
to  our  brigade  the  credit  of  saving  the  day. 

Very  truly  yours, 

E.  UPTON, 

Brevet  Maj.-Gen'l  U.  S.  A. 
To  G.  NORTON  GALLOWAY, 
Philadelphia,  Pa." 


35 

Our  independent  movement  to  within  six  miles  of  Richmond, 
Hanover  Court  House,  and  Mechanicsville,  and  spirited  com 
bat  with  Lee's  advance  and  narrow  escape  from  being  cap 
tured,  are  memorable  events,  as  are,  also,  the  twelve  awful 
days  and  nights  battling  at  Cool  Arbor,  June  1st  to  13th 
inclusive,  where  we  took  and  held  the  only  portion  of  rebel 
works  captured  by  the  army.  These  works  were  captured 
on  the  1st  and  3d  by  a  portion  of  Ricket's  (Third)  Division 
and  Upton's  Brigade  (First  Division)  of  the  Sixth  Corps. 
It  was  a  sanguinary  piece  of  work,  and  a  few  days  after 
wards  we  were  obliged  to  live  in  the  earth,  eat  blood,  drink 
bloo.l ;  for  did  we  not  eat  the  gory  biscuit  from  out  our 
dead  brothers'  haversacks?  and  drink  the  water  from  the 
only  spring  we  could  find,  and  which  hourly  our  comrades' 
corpses  were  coloring  with  their  life-blood,  picked  oft'  by  the 
enemy's  sharp-shooters. 

We  slept  with  the  dead,  too,  and  built  our  breast-works 
upon  them,  scooping  the  earth  up  with  tin  cups,  plates,  and 
bayonets,  and  in  a  few  days  the  glacis  of  these  works  be 
came  so  honeycombed  by  the  enemy's  fire  that  they  bled  a 
sickening  fluid,  most  insufferable.  Great  God !  It  was  the 
flesh  of  our  comrades  melting  away,  and  this  was  a  sojourn 
in  phantomdom  ;  for  at  night  about  the  battle-field  the  dead 
stalked,  dragging  their  ghostly  garments,  as  it  were,  through 
the  thousand  pools  of  blood,  which  by  this  time  had  so  im 
pregnated  the  atmosphere  with  foul  odors,  that  some  fears  of 
a  pestilence  were  entertained. 

Grant's  forty  days  and  nights'  battle  ended  at  Cool  Arbor, 
and  on  the  18th  of  June  we  were  entrenched,  and  having  our 
brains  knocked  out  in  front  of  Petersburg.  Among  the  com 
missioned  officers  of  the  regiment  wounded  up  to  this  time 
were  Adjutant  Henry  E.  Hindmarsh,  and  Lieutenants  David 
Gordon,  Company  A  (acting  Aide-de-camp  to  Gen.  Upton), 
Samuel  Topham,  Marshall  C.  Hong,  Company  I,  and  Edwin 
McEwen,  Company  K. 

Our  raid  to  Ream's  Station,  in  support  of  Wilson's  and 
Kautz's  Cavalry  and  return  to  the  works  about  Petersburg,  and 
action  at  Davis'  Farm,  conjure  up  fresh  visions  of  a  busy  past ; 


36 

nor  must  it  be  forgotten  that  it  was  a  detail  of  one  hundred 
men  from  the  Ninety-fifth  that  began,  and  labored  assiduously 
upon  that  celebrated  work  known  as  Fort  Sedgwick,  better 
known  as  Fort  Hell,  and  it  was  whilst  we  were  engaged  in 
its  construction  we  were  suddenly  called  to  the  defence  of 
Washington  and  the  Capitol,  which  now  owes  its  existence 
to  the  brave  men  of  the  old  Sixth  Corps. 

Snicker's  Gap,  Summit  Point  or  Flowing  Spring,  in  the 
Shenandoah  Valley,  we  can  only  give  a  passing  word  to. 
Opacjuon,  or  Winchester  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  fought  on 
the  19th  of  September,  1864,  was  a  glorious  victory  to  our 
arms.  It  was  here  that,  when  Gen.  Upton  was  so  severely 
wounded  that  he  could  not  get  about,  set  an  example  to  the 
world  for  bravery  almost  unparalleled,  and  showed  that  the 
American  soldier  can  have  no  superior  when  fighting  for  that 
which  is  noble  and  just.  Gen.  Upton,  though  racked  by 
pain  and  suffering,  from  loss  of  blood,  refused  to  relinquish 
his  command,  and  was  borne  o'er  the  field  upon  a  litter,  di 
recting  the  battle  until  victory  crowned  the  day.  Was  ever 
such  bravery  surpassed  in  man  ? 

It  was  here  that  that  princely  soldier,  Gen.  David  Allen 
Russell,  our  division  commander,  was  shot  dead  by  a  cannon- 
ball  passing  through  his  body  ;  he,  too,  like  the  brave  Upton, 
was  wounded  (mortally,  it  was  afterwards  discovered),  and 
would  not  leave  the  field  until  death  called  him. 

Two  days  afterwards  we  were  at  Fisher's  Hill,  capturing 
guns,  colors,  and  prisoners,  and  chased  Jubal  Early  through 
the  entire  night,  coming  out  fourteen  miles  beyond  the  battle 
field  in  the  morning. 

The  brilliant  affair  at  Chapman's  Farm,  near  I^ew  Market, 
after  a  six  mile  skirmish  with  the  fleeing  foe  to  Mt.  Jackson, 
in  which  the  late  lamented  Captain  Byrnes,  of  Company  "  F" 
was  severely  wounded,  the  double  battle  of  Cedar  Creek  (Mid- 
dleton),  said  to  be  the  most  remarkable  engagement  of  any 
war,  and  where  our  much  reduced  battalion  of  re-enlisted  vete 
rans  lost  nearly  two-thirds  of  those  on  duty,  the  destruction 
of  Early 's  army  and  devastation  of  the  valley  are  all  sacred 
thoughts  to  us  of  the  dear  old  Kinety-fifth. 


37 

The  original  term  of  the  regiment  having  expired  on  the 
16th  of  October,  1864,  those  officers  and  men  who  had  not 
re-enlisted  for  a  second  term  left  the  field,  under  command  of 
Captain  F.  J.  Randall  (Company  D),  who  had  been  acting 
Major  of  the  regiment  (commanding)  during  a  part  of  the  san 
guinary  campaigns  just  passed  through,  and  reached  Philadel 
phia  on  the  19th  (October).  The  re-enlisted  veterans  and  re 
cruits  of  the  regiment,  and  those  of  the  Ninety-sixth  Penn 
sylvania  Volunteers  were  now  re-organized,  consolidated,  and 
known  as  the  Ninety-fifth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and  Cap 
tain  John  Harper  (Company  I,  Ninety-fifth  Pennsylvania  Vol 
unteers)  was  soon  after  commissioned  Lieutenant-Colonel  of 
the  regiment. 

Our  work  was  not  yet  complete.  Returned  to  Petersburg ; 
an  active  winter  was  passed  through.  The  battle  at  Hatcher's 
Run  and  the  severe  fighting  in  front  of  Fort  Fisher  cost  us 
many  lives. 

During  the  winter  our  ranks  were  filled,  and  later  on  the 
strength  of  the  regiment  was  added  to  by  the  presence  of 
several  new  companies. 

On  the  2d  of  April,  to  the  Sixth  Corps  was  assigned  the 
honor  of  breaking  the  lines  of  Petersburg,  and  that  day  the 
Ninety-fifth  was  in  the  midst  of  all  the  glory  which  crowned 
that  eventful  morning's  toil,  and  gave  peace  to  our  distracted 
country.  The  guns,  colors,  and  other  paraphernalia  of  war,  the 
capture  of  which  was  shared  in  by  the  Ninety-fifth,  became  the 
trophies  of  the  Sixth  Corps,  and  redound  to  the  glory  of  the 
whole.  But  it  was  Corporal  Fox  of  the  Ninety-fifth  who  cap 
tured  the  fiag  of  the  Confederate  Custom-house  at  Petersburg, 
having  been  presented  with  a  medal  for  this  act  of  bravery 
by  the  United  States  Congress. 

At  the  battle  of  Sailor's  Creek,  April  6th,  the  last  blood  of 
the  regiment  was  spilled. — God  bless  our  noble  dead  ! 

It  was  a  signal  victory  over  the  foe,  and  a  great  day  for  us. 

Suffice  it  to  say  now  that  the  Ninety-fifth  was  with  Grant 
at  Appomattox  Court-house  on  the  9th  of  April,  1865. 

During  the  Ninety-fifth  regiment's  three  years  and  nearly 
nine  months'  services,  its  casualties  in  battle  were  eight  hun- 
4 


38 

dred  and  forty  officers  and  men,  one  hundred  and  ninety,  or  a 
little  more  than  one-fourth  of  these,  were  killed  outright,  or 
died  of  wounds  received  in  hattle.  Eleven  commissioned  offi 
cers  were  killed,  five  of  whom  were  field  officers;  twice  the 
regiment  was  left  without  a  field  officer  or  Adjutant,  and 
passed  through  the  entire  campaign  from  the  Rapidan  to  the 
James.  First.  Petersburg  campaign,  Washington,  and  Shen- 
andoah  Valley  campaigns  without  a  commissioned  field  officer. 
As  the  Ninety-fifth  was  the  most  unfortunate  regiment  in  the 
entire  service — as  to  its  loss  in  field-officers — (five  were  killed 
in  battle,  and  one  died  from  disease,  and  one  was  wounded  in 
battle)  it  is  believed  to  have  been  the  healthiest  also,  but 
thirty-three  deaths  having  occurred  from  disease  ;  remarkable, 
when  we  consider  that  between  twenty-three  and  twenty-four 
hundred  names  appear  upon  the  regimental  roster.  But  five 
deaths  occurred  from  accidental  wounds,  or  carelessness.  And 
most  of  the  two  hundred  and  eight  cases  of  desertion  in  the 
regiment  occurred  soon  after  the  organization  reached  Wash 
ington,  and  later  on  those  who  deserted  were  the  "profession 
als,"  who  joined  as  recruits,  induced  by  the  large  bounties 
offered.  Many  of  its  members  were  much  below  their  majo 
rity,  and  but  few  were  married,  Company  E  containing  but 
four  married  men.  The  average  age  of  the  members  of  the 
regiment  was  22  years.  The  Ninety-fifth  was  mustered  out 
of  the  United  States  service  on  the  17th  of  July,  1865,  and 
reached  Philadelphia  on  the  19th,  when  it  was  paid  off,  and 
finally  discharged  on  the  24th  (July). 


39 

The  work  of  the  glorious  old  Sixth  Corps,  too,  was  finished, 
and  the  achievements  wrought  by  its  noble  sons  were  now  a 
part  of  the  history  of  our  country.  What  of  the  countless 
deeds  of  that  once  magnificent  body?  What  of  its  unparal 
leled  marches  ?  What  of  its  hundred  battles  ?  What  of  its 
forty  thousand  casualties  in  those  battles  ?  What  of  its  seven 
thousand  miles  of  marchingr  and  counter-marching?  What 

«...  ^ 

of  its  nearly  two  thousand  miles  of  travel  by  boat  and  rail  ? 
What  of  its  captures  ?  What  of  its  prowess  in  war  ?  And 
what  of  its  saintly  dead  ? 

Sedgwick,  Eussell,  Bayard,  Taylor,  Bidwell. 
New  York :  Marsh  of  the  Sixteenth ;  Jackson  of  the  Eight 
eenth  ;  Daniels  of  the  Thirty-first ;  Matherson  and  Lemon  of 
the  Thirty-second;  Faxon  of  the  Thirty-sixth;  Wilson, 
Yisscher,  Wallace,  and  Fryer  of  the  Forty-third ;  Bidwell, 
Johnson,  Holt,  and  Ellis  of  the  Forty-ninth  ;  Riker  and  Hub- 
bell  of  the  Sixty-second ;  Higginbotham  and  Hamblin  (the 
latter  died  soon  after  the  war)  of  the  Sixty-fifth ;  Townsend  of 
the  One  hundred  and  sixth  ;  Dwight,  Brower,  and  Clapp,  of 
the  One  hundred  and  twenty-second. 

Pennsylvania :  Birney  of  the  Twenty-third ;  Hulings  and 
Miles  of  the  Forty-ninth ;  Rippey,  Spear,  and  Crosby  of  the 
Sixty-first;  Gosline,  Town,  Hall,  Carroll,  Harper  (the  latter 
died  soon  after  the  close  of  the  war),  and  Hubbs  of  the  Ninety- 
fifth  ;  Martin  of  the  Ninety-sixth ;  Kohler  and  Beamish  of 
the  Ninety-eighth  ;  Patterson,  Mcllwaine,  Coleman,  and  Po 
land  of  the  One  hundred  and  second ;  Truefitt  of  the  One 
hundred  and  nineteenth ;  and  Moody,  McKean,  and  Sriyder  of 
the  One  hundred  and  thirty -ninth. 

New  Jersey  :  Kearney,  Collett,  and  Hatfield  of  the  First ; 
Tucker  and  Wiebecke  of  the  Second  ;  Taylor  of  the  Third  ; 
Hatch  of  the  Fourth  ;  Ryerson  of  the  Tenth ;  Yredenburg, 
of  the  Fourteenth  ;  Fowler  and  Boeman  of  the  Fifteenth  ;  and 
Van  Houten  of  the  Twenty-first. 

Vermont :  Stone  and  Taylor  of  the  Second  ;  Dudley  of  the 
Fifth ;  Barney,  Crandell  and  Dwinell,  of  the  Sixth  ;  Dilling- 
ham  of  the  Tenth;  Chamberlain  and  Buxton  of  the  Eleventh. 

Massachusetts :  Parker  and  Miller  of  the  Tenth. 


40 

Maine :  Heath  of  the  Fifth  ;  Burnham  and  Haycock  of  the 
Sixth  ;  Marshall  and  Jones  of  the  Seventh. 

"Wisconsin :  Wheeler  and  Emery  of  the  Fifth. 

Rhode  Island  ;  Slocum  and  Ballou  of  the  Second. 

Connecticut :  Kellogg  and  Rice  of  the  Second. 

Massachusetts :  Russell  of  the  Seventh. 

Ohio:  Mcllwaine  of  the  One  hundred  and  tenth;  and 
Ebright  of  the  One  hundred  and  twenty-sixth. 

Maryland :  Prentiss  of  the  Sixth.  Tolles  of  Wright's  Staff' 
murdered  by  guerillas  ;  Ohlenschlager,  of  Sheridan's  Staff  (for 
merly  of  Hexamer's  Battery,  Sixth  Corps),  murdered  by  guer 
illas.  To  this  list  might  be  added  the  hundreds  of  Captains 
and  Lieutenants  of  the  Sixth  Corps  who  gave  up  their  lives 
that  the  Republic  might  live ;  and  also  the  thousands  of 
heroes  from  its  ranks. 

From  its  loins  (the  Sixth  Corps)  sprang  the  great  school  of 
officers,  whose  names  shall  live  as  long  as  the  people  of  the 
earth  shall  have  power  to  pronounce  them,  and  deeds  of  valor 
adorn  the  pages  of  history,  until  types  and  ink  are  known  no 
more.  Well  may  we  point  to  the  Sixth  Corps  and  say,  Here 
was  John  Newton,  the  greatest  of  living  engineers,  born ;  here 
was  Slocum  born  ;  here  was  the  dashing  Torbert  born.  Upton, 
the  great  tactician,  McKensie,  Brooks,  Burnham,  Montgomery, 
thetwo  Birneys(David  Bell  and  William)  both  Major-Generals, 
Davidson,  whose  name  was  a  terror  to  the  secessionists  of  Mis 
souri.  The  great  "Baldy"  Smith,  Hancock  called  the  superb, 
or  as  he  has  been  styled  the  whirlwind  of  the  army  of  the 
Potomac.  Franklin,  Kearney,  Couch,  Devens,  Stannard, 
Cochran  (John)  Shaler,  Graham,  Peck,  Abercrombie,  Ayers, 
Davies*  (Thomas  A.),  and  the  gallant  Brevet  Major-General 
N.  Martin  Curtis  (of  towering  stature,  who  rose  from  a  captain 
in  the  Sixteenth  !N"ew  York,  and  won  undying  glories  at  Fort 
Fisher),  Howe,  Neill,  Bartlett,  Connor,  Lewis,  Fisk,  Briggs, 
Cobb  (Amasa),  Brevet  Major-General  Robert  McAllister, 
Campbell,  Rowley,  Pratt  Vinton,  Baron  Yon  Vegesack, 
Stoughton,  Harry  White,  Bassett,  McClennan,  Collier,  Jack- 

*  On  page  20,  for  "  Davis"  read  "  Davies." 


41 

son  and  Homer,  Stoughton,  of  the  First  United  States  Sharp 
shooters,  Allen,  Weber,  William  H.  Seward,  Jr.,  Wright, 
Ricketts,  Getty,  Seymour,  Grant  (Lewis  A.),  Keifer  (J.  War 
ren)  (Speaker  of  the  United  States  House  of  Representatives), 
Ballier,  Penrose,  Edwards,  Wheaton,  Foster,  Hyde,  Warner 
Truex,  and  Hall. 

A  singular  fact  connected  with  the  history  of  the  Sixth 
Corps  is,  that  it  invariably  encountered  the  same  troops  of  the 
enemy  upon  all  general  battle-fields,  and  even  when  thrown 
into  the  Valley  (Shenandoah),  it  met  its  old  foe  of  former 
fields,  and  captured  men  for  the  third  and  fourth  time  in  dif 
ferent  actions. 

Thus  in  closing,  let  us  say  of  the  grand  old  Corps,  as  Ruskin 
has  so  beautifully  said  of  the  "  Fighting Temeraire,"  American 
izing  a  few  words :  Those  sails  that  strained  so  full  bent  into 
the  battle — that  broad  bow  that  struck  the  surf  aside,  enlarging 
silently  in  steadfast  haste,  full  front  to  the  shot— resistless, 
and  without  reply — those  triple  ports,  whose  chores  of  flame 
rang  forth  in  their  courses,  into  the  fierce  revenging  mono 
tone  which,  when  it  died  away,  left  no  answering  voice  to  rise 
any  more  upon  the  sea  against  the  strength  of  c  the  Union,1 
those  sides  that  were  wet  with  the  long  rivulets  of <  American' 
life-blood,  like  press-planks  at  vintage,  gleaming  goodly  crim 
son  down  to  the  cast  and  clash  of  the  washing  foam — those 
pale  masts  that  stayed  themselves  up  against  the  war  ruin, 
shaking  out  their  ensigns  through  the  thunder,  till  sail  and 
ensign  dropped,  steep  in  the  death-stilled  pause  of  southern 
air,  burning  with  its  witness,  cloud  of  human  souls  at  rest, 
surely  for  these  some  sacred  care  is  left  in  our  thoughts,  some 
quiet  space  amid  the  lapse  of '  American'  waters. 

We  have  stern  keepers  to  trust  her  glory  to.  Never  more 
shall  sunset  lay  golden  robe  on  her,  nor  starlight  tremble  on 
the  waves  that  part  at  her  gliding.  Perhaps  where  the  low  gate 
opens  to  some  cottage  garden,  the  tired  traveller  may  ask,  idly, 
why  the  moss  grows  so  green  on  its  rugged  wood ;  and  even 
the  soldier's  child  lies  deep  in  the  war-rents  of  the  wood  of 
the  "  Old  Fighting  Sixth." 

The  last  act  performed  by  the  Ninety-fifth  Pennsylvania  as 


42 


an  organization,  occurred  on  the  4th  day  of  July,  1866,  when 
a  majority  of  its  survivors  assembled  in  old  Independence 
Square  and  delivered  up  the  colors  intrusted  to  their  care. 
Two  war-worn,  blood-stained,  and  bullet-riddled  standards* 


*  The  old  flags  carried  by  the  survivors  on  the  occasion  of  this  reunion 
were  the  original  banners  borne  by  them  through  all  the  bloody  scenes  of 
strife  until  February,  1864 ;  the  National  flag  being  one  of  a  set  of  colors 
presented  to  the  regiment  at  "  Camp  Franklin"  in  1862. 

The  following  extract,  from  the  writer's  diary  of  that  time,  tells  the  story 
of  that  presentation  : — 

"November  11,  1861.  At  7  o'clock  P.  M.  a  number  officers  of  the  regi 
ment  met  at  Col.  Gosline's  headquarters  for  the  purpose  of  appointing  a 
committee  from  its  number  to  receive  a  delegation  of  gentlemen  from  Phila 
delphia,  having  in  charge  a  set  of  colors  intended  for  presentation  to  our 
regiment.  Three  officers  were,  after  some  little  deliberation,  chosen  to  rep 
resent  us,  Adjutant  Dunton  being  one.  It  was  now  agreed  that  this  com 
mittee  start  early  the  next  morning  for  Washington,  where  they  arrived  at 
10  o'clock  (A.  M.).  Meeting  our  friends  from  Philadelphia,  they  at  once 
proceeded  to  "  Willard's"  (a  famous  resort)  for  rest  and  refreshment. 

"  Reaching  Camp  Franklin  at  retreat,  our  friends  were  entertained  by 
Col.  Gosline.  This  party  of  gentlemen  were  Dr.  Joseph  R.  Good,  William 
J.  Bayne,  Charles  Hogan,  William  H.  Maurer,  Nathan  Hall  (father  of 
Captain  Hall),  Cornelius  Hall,  James  Daly,  Sr.,  and  Mr.  Altmyer. 

"  The  14th  broke  with  a  dull  atmosphere  and  some  likelihood  of  a  shower. 
At  9  o'clock  A.  M.  a  special  dress  parade  was  held,  at  which  our  friends 
(the  color  committee)  were  treated  to  some  extra  manoeuvres  on  our  part, 
and  a  number  of  fine  selections  by  our  band.  At  the  conclusion  of  these 
exercises  Dr.  Good,  in  a  few  patriotic  words  (and  in  behalf  of  our  lady 
friends  in  Philadelphia,  to  whose  patriotic  endeavors  we  are  indebted  for 
these  colors)  presented  a  fine  set  of  colors  to  the  regiment ;  the  National 
flag  being  handsomely  inscribed,  bearing  our  number  and  synonyme — 54th 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers  (Gosline's  Pennsylvania  Zouaves"). 
Col.  Gosline  now  acknowledged  the  gift  in  a  brief  address.  Two  silk 
guidons,  intended  for  presentation  at  this  time,  did  not  reach  the  regiment 
until  the  last  of  November.  After  the  ceremonies  of  presentation  had  ended, 
the  day  was  given  over  to  a  sort  of  feast  of  ale  and  flow  of  '  Commissary,' 
and  in  this  our  neighbors,  the  18th  New  York,  shared.  An  invitation  hav 
ing  been  given  to  them  to  participate  in  our  festivities,  Mirth,  music,  song, 
and  '  gymnastics,'  crowned  the  whole,  and  it  was  a  day  we  could  look  back 
to  with  pleasant  memories." 

The  idea  of  this  gift  of  colors  originated  with  a  few  lady  friends  of  the  regi 
ment  in  Philadelphia,  of  whom  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Gosline  (wife  of  our  Colonel) 
was  the  leading  spirit.  Mrs.  Gosline's  associates  were  Mrs.  William  H. 


43 

were  handed  in,  which  are  now  at  Harrisburg  in  the  keeping 
of  the  State  Government.  These  tattered  banners  were  all  in 
all  to  us,  and  we  love  their  faded  folds.  What  the  bald  pate 
is  to  the  old  man,  what  the  silver  tresses  are  to  the  aged 
woman,  what  the  seared  leaf  is  to  the  stately  forest  oak,  what 
the  whitened  grass  is  to  the  parched  field,  and  what  the  pale 
drooping  leaf  and  narrowless  pithy  stalk  are  to  the  shining 
golden  ear  peeping  out  from  its  snug  wrapper,  and  what  the 
dutiful  child  is  to  the  aged  mother  who,  after  her  strong  life 
and  care  and  warfare  with  the  world  is  over,  lies  down  to  rest 
in  peace,  these  seared  banners  are  all  this  to  us. 


Maurer,  Mrs.  Jacob  H.  Beattes  (wife  of  Captain  Beatles),  and  Mrs.  Charles 
Hogan.  When  the  organization  left  Philadelphia  it  was  unprovided  with 
colors,  and  the  reason  assigned  for  this  slight  was,  that  the  regiment  had 
been  raised  independent  of  the  State,  Colonel  Gosline  having  applied  direct 
to,  and  received  his  authority  from  the  War  Department  to  raise  the  regi 
ment.  This  action  of  Colonel  Gosline  created  some  little  feeling  on  the 
part  of  the  State  authorities,  and  this  is  also  the  reason  why  we  lost  our 
real  number  in  the  State  line  of  Pennsylvania  troops.  Having  been  assigned 
a  number,  45,  in  the  beginning  of  our  recruiting  operations,  then  being 
changed  to  the  54th,  and  finally  to  the  95th  regiment.  It  became  a  matter 
of  some  jest  for  a  while  whether  we  should  ever  obtain  a  number  we  could 
call  our  own.  Before  these  colors  were  given  to  us  we  used  to  borrow  the 
flags  of  the  3d  U.  S.  Infantry  to  parade  with,  and  sometimes  paraded  with 
out  colors.  Some  time  after  we  had  received  our  colors  we  were  presented 
with  a  stand  by  the  State,  Governor  Curtin  being  present  at  the  ceremonies. 


CHANCELLORSVILLE  CAMPAIGN 

SEDGWICK  AND  SALEM  HEIGHTS. 


N. 


CHANCELLORSYILLE  CAMPAIGN. 


As  the  Chancellorsville  campaign  was  the  most  important 
one  in  which  the  Sixth  Corps  participated,  and  as  the  name 
of  Gen.  Sedgwick  has  been  associated  with  Hooker's  failure  in 
that  campaign  as  the  primary  cause,  it  was  thought  best  by 
some  of  our  comrades  to  have  a  narrative  of  that  brief  cam 
paign  published  in  connection  with  the  foregoing  address. 
The  story  has  been  drawn  from  various  sources  of  official 
information. 

General  Hooker  organized  a  campaign,  to  start  about  the 
13th  of  April,  but  heavy  rains  and  other  causes  compelled 
him  to  wait  for  more  favorable  weather,  which  the  dawn  of 
spring  did  not  promise.  Meanwhile,  an  unusually  rainy  sea 
son  held  his  army  in  bondage,  and  licked  out  the  hillsides, 
filling  the  already  abominable  roads  up,  and  floated  their  cor 
duroys  away  like  miniature  lumber  rafts,  to  the  streams  in  the 
vicinity  which  feed  the  Rappahannock  River. 

At  length,  on  the  27th  of  April,  circulars  of  instruction 
were  sent  to  the  different  corps  commanders ;  and  on  the 
same  day,  Gen.  Hooker,  in  an  address  to  the  troops  of  his  com 
mand,  which  was  read  at  the  dress  parades  held  at  retreat,  told 
them  what  he  expected  them  to  do,  and  the  chance  he  would 
give  them  to  do  it*  Hooker  now  had  well  in  hand  a  mag 
nificent  body  of  men,  of  all  grades,  and  engines  of  war,  which 


*  Hooker's  plan,  which  was  only  made  known  to  those  high  in  office,  was 
to  move  the  major  portion  of  his  army,  unobserved,  to  a  point  some  twenty 
miles  to  the  right  above  Lee's  position,  cross  the  river  with  his  whole  force, 
strike  the  enemy  in  the  flank  and  rear,  and  force  him  to  battle  outside  of  his 
strong  works,  if  he  would  save  his  communication  with  Richmond.  In  such 
an  event  Hooker  felt  sure  of  victory. 


48 

he  was  pleased  to  term  the  Finest  army  on  the  Planet. 
His  order  to  his  Cavalry  Chief  contained  the  following  char 
acteristic  paragraph :  If  you  cannot  cut  off  from  his  column 
(meaning  the  enemy)  large  slices,  the  General  desires  that  you 
will  not  fail  to  take  small  ones.  Let  your  watchword  be 
fight,  and  let  all  your  orders  \>Q,  fight !  fight!  fight !  hearing  in 
mind  that  time  is  as  valuable  to  the  General  as  the  rebel 
carcasses. 

We  were  to  carry  eight  days'  rations,  and  one  hundred 
rounds  of  ammunition.     Some  of  us  in  the  Ninety-fifth  Penn 
sylvania  were   curious   to   know  just   what   this  amount  of 
freight,  of  which  we  were  to  be  the  human  trucks,  would  weigh. 
So  we  equipped  ourselves,  and  stepping  upon  the  scales  at  the 
Quartermaster's  headquarters,  found  that  we    weighed  just 
eighty-eight  pounds  more  equipped  than  we  did  unequipped. 
We  threw  away  our  clothing  and  converted  our  knapsacks  into 
portable  pantries,  filling  them  with  pork  and  crackers,  and  we 
renounced  the  use  of  our  haversacks  in  favor  of  cartridge 
boxes.     Thus  were  we  freighted  down  with  war's  parapher 
nalia,  until  many  groaned  with  pain  at  the  very  idea  of  such  an 
incumbrance,  and  some  of  the  men  cursed  the  "  fool"  whose 
brain  had  given  birth  to  such  an  idea.    It  was  on  this  account 
that  the  rebels,  after  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  called 
Gen.  Hooker  the  "  Confederate  Commissary."     According  to 
official  statement,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  now  numbered 
119,661  men.   The  Burnside  system  of  "  Grand  Divisions"  was 
broken  up,  and  the  army  re-organized  into  seven  corps.     Gen. 
John  F.  Reynolds  commanded  the  First;  Gen.  Darius   N". 
Couch  the  Second ;  Gen.  Danl.  E.  Sickles  the  Third ;  Gen. 
Geo.  G.  Meade  the  Fifth ;  Gen.  John  Sedgwick  the  Sixth ; 
Gen.  Oliver  0.  Howard  the  Eleventh ;  Gen.  Henry  W.  Slo- 
cum  commanded   the  Twelfth.      Just  here,  I  wish   to  say 
something  of  the  corps  badge  and  its  origin,  also  that  collec 
tion  of  pretty  banners,  each  bearing  a  mysterious  device,  and 
known  as  head-quarter  flags.     These  were  the  classics  of  the 
battle-field  and  the  weird  of  war.    This  system  of  corps  badges 
or   "  tell-tales"  was  adopted  by  Gen.  Hooker  for  the  army 
soon  after  his  taking  command.     The  First  Corps  was  desig- 


49 

nated  by  a  Sphere.  The  Second  by  a  Trefoil,  or  what  the  men 
called  the  "  Ace  of  Clubs."  The  Third  was  designated  by  a 
Lozenge  or  Rhomb,  and  was  called  the  "  Ace  of  Diamonds," 
its  different  divisions  being  called  the  Red  Diamonds,  the 
White  Diamonds,  and  the  Blue  Diamonds. 

The  Fifth  Corps  was  a  Maltese  Cross,  and  the  Sixth  Corps 
badge  was  the  Greek  or  St.  Andrew's  Cross,  and  was  worn  by 
some  after  that  fashion.     Many  of  the  Roman  Catholics,  how 
ever  (notably  those  in  Thirty-first  New  York)  had  a  regular 
Christian  symbol,  shaped  of  the  goods  furnished  for  the  pur 
pose,  and  might  easily  have  been  mistaken  for  Knights  Tem 
plars.     The  Sixth  Corps  badge  was  the  most  abused  of  any  in 
the  army,  and  is  to-day.     It  should  be  worn  as  St.  Andrew's 
Cross  is  represented,  and  a   fac-simile  of  General  Hooker's 
original  drawing,  now  in  possession  of  the  writer,  shows  the 
mark  in  that  fashion.    The  Eleventh  Corps  badge  was  a  Cres 
cent  or  half-moon  ;  and  after  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville  and 
stampede  of  Howard's  men  the  Eleventh  Corps  was  facetiously 
called  the  "  flying  half-moon."   The  Twelfth  Corps'  mark  was 
a  Five-pointed  star.    This  scheme  for  marking  the  army  grew 
out  of  an  idea  which  originated  with  Gen.  Kearney.    Whilst 
on  the  Peninsula,  after  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  the  officers  and 
men  drew  their  clothing  alike  from  the  quarter-master,  and 
much  difficulty  was  experienced  in  distinguishing  an  officer 
from  a  private  soldier.     Kearney  then  prescribed  a  red  patch, 
which  he  ordered  must  be  worn  on  the  cap  crowns  of  the  field 
and  staff  officers  in  his  command,  and  that  all  officers  of  the  line 
wear  the  same  in  front  of  their  caps.    This  was  known  as  the 
"  Kearney  patch."  There  was  no  mark  worn  by  the  private  sol 
dier  at  this  time.    The  main  object  with  Gen.  Hooker  in  thus 
decorating  his  army,  was  to  prevent  straggling  or  straying  off 
in  the  different  commands,  and  to  put  upon  each  individual  sol 
dier  a  "  tell-tale,"  or,  as  it  would  be  termed  now  in  the  parlance 
of  the  street,  a  "  give-away."   This  system  worked  to  a  charm, 
and  Gen.  Hooker  was  exceedingly  proud  of  it.   Almost  the  last 
letter  written  before  his  death,  and  the  very  last  relative  to  his 
connection  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  was  to  the  writer, 
and  in  that  letter  he  particularly  speaks  of  this  system  of  corps 


50 

badges,  remarking  that  it  was  instrumental  in  accomplishing 
wonders  for  the  army.  The  color  for  the  First  division's 
was  a  bright  crimson.  The  Second  division's  was  white.  The 
Third  division's  was  blue,  and  the  Fourth  division's  (Sixth 
Corps  only)  green;  this  latter  division  we  never  see  repre 
sented  in  any  of  our  "  Army  of  the  Republic"  processions. 
Each  corps,  division,  and  brigade  was  designated  by  a  flag 
bearing  its  symbol.  These  were  oblong  and  triangular  in 
shape  (the  latter  shape  for  brigades)  and  made  so  as  to  be 
numerically  distinguishable  by  the  placement  of  certain  strips 
which  were  in  all  cases  the  color  worn  by  a  division. 

Our  cavalry  was  well  horsed  and  equipped,  and  400  guns 
constituted  the  artillery  force  of  our  army.  In  Hooker's 
army  at  this  time  were  about  40,000  two  years'  troops 
and  nine  months'  men,  whose  term  of  service  would  expire 
upon  the  eve  of  the  campaign.  The  Sixth  Corps  numbered 
22,000  men,  among  whom  were  three  nine  months'  regiments 
New  Jersey  troops,  arid  seven  battalions  New  York  State 
troops,  two  years'  men.  The  Sixth  Corps  was  composed  of 
four  divisions,  the  First  under  Brig.-Gen.  Wm.  T.  H.  Brooks, 
the  Second  under  Brig.-Gen.  Albion  Paris  Howe,  and  the 
Third  was  commanded  by  Brig.-Gen.  John  Newton  (now  of 
Hell  Gate  fame).  Attached  to  the  Sixth  Corps  was  what  was 
known  as  a  "Light"  or  "Flying  Division,"  originally  com 
manded  by  Col.  Calvin  E.  Pratt  (Thirty-first  New  York). 
Col.  Pratt  was  succeeded  in  the  beginning  of  the  campaign 
by  Col.  Hiram  Burnham  (Sixth  Maine  Volunteers). 

The  left  wing  of  Hooker's  arrny  was  under  Maj.-Gen.  John 
Sedgwick,  and  consisted  of  the  First  and  Third  Corps  (Gens. 
Reynolds  and  Sickels)  and  Sedgwick's  own  Corps,  now  tem 
porarily  under  Gen.  Newton.  The  First  and  Third  Corps 
aggregated  about  35,000  men,  and  increased  Sedgwick's  com 
mand  to  57,000.  However,  on  the  morning  of  the  20th  of 
April  Sickels  with  his  Corps  was  ordered  to  join  Hooker  at 
Chancellorsville,  and  on  the  morning  of  May  2d  Gen.  Rey- 
nolds's  Corps  was  taken  from  Sedgwick,  also  joining  Hooker 
on  the  right. 

Lee's  army  had  wintered  in  the  neighborhood  of  Fred- 


51 


ericksburg,  the  fords  of  the  Rappahannock  and  its  tributaries, 
and  now  numbered  about  69,000  men  with  170  pieces  of  ar 
tillery.  Its  equipollence  was  the  same  as  Hooker's. 

HOOKER'S  NINE  DAYS'  CAMPAIGN. 

^  Opening  of  the  campaign  of  1863.  Battles  of  Chancellors- 
ville,  Franklin  Crossing,  Bernard's  Farm,  Bowling  Green 
Road,  Deep  Run,  Marye's  Heights,  Fredericksburg,  Salem 
Heights,  and  Bank's  Ford. 

At  6  P.  M.  on  the  27th  of  April  we  of  the  Sixth  Corps  re 
ceived  orders  to  march  on  the  following  morning.     Reveille 
was  beaten  at  5  A.  M.  on  the  28th,  but  owing  to  a  rain-storm 
which  set  in  at  early  hour,  the  order  to  strike  tents  was  not 
given  until  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  we  formed  in 
line,  bidding  farewell  to  our  camping  ground,  and  taking  up 
the  line  of  march,  shaping  our   course  in  the   direction  of 
Franklin's  Crossing  on  the  Rappahannock,  thus  commencing 
the   campaign   of  1863  (the   whole   army  now   in   motion). 
On  the  28th  Gen.  Hooker  with   10,000    cavalry   and   three 
corps  of  infantry,  Meade's,  Howard's,  and  Slocum's,  crossed 
the  Rappahannock  at  Kelly's  Ford,  seven  miles  above  Fred 
ericksburg,  while   the  First,  Third,  and  Sixth  Corps  under 
Sedgwick,  remained   upon   the   north   bank  of  the   Rappa 
hannock  watching  the  enemy,  and  by  a  show  of  force  led 
the  Confederates  to  suppose  that  the  whole  of  our  army  was 
still  in  its  original  position.     In  this  way  Hooker  was  enabled 
to   inagurate   his   offensive   movement  without  molestation 
from  Lee.     The  First  Corps  was  to  cross  at  Pollock's  Mill 
Creek,  and  the  Third  Corps  was  expected  to  act  as  a  support 
to  the  First,  and  the  Sixth  Corps  was  to  make  active  demon 
strations  upon  the  enemy  in  front,  across  the  river,  upon 
Marye's  Heights.     After  a  tedious  march  through  mud  and 
rain,  the  Sixth  Corps  halted  in  line  of  battle  upon  the  crest  ot 
a  hill  skirting  the  north  bank  of  the  Rappahannock,  where 
we  prepared  to  spend  the  night,  partaking  of  an  improvised 
supper— the  usual  camp  or  bivouac  fires  not  being  allowed. 
About  10  o'clock  in  the  night  we  were  aroused  and  informed 


52 

that  the  first  division  (Sixth  Corps)  was  to  cross  the  river. 
The  third  brigade  (Russell's)  was  to  be  the  van,  and  to  the 
regiments  One  hundred  and  nineteenth  and  Ninety-fifth  Penn 
sylvania  of  Russell's  brigade  was  assigned  the  hazardous  and 
important  duty  of  surprising  the  enemy's  pickets,  now  in 
force  upon  the  opposite  side,  and  taking  possession  of  the 
telegraph  roads  in  the  vicinity  of  Fredericksburg. 

At  10  o'clock  in  the  night  Russell  assembled  his  colonels 
and  told  them  the  parts  he  wished  them  to  take  in  the  silent 
drama.  Forty  pontoons  were  to  be  mysteriously  launched 
upon  the  dark  waters  of  the  Rappahannock,  and  sixty  men 
allotted  to  each  boat.  The  play  was  u  Surprise,"  and  the 
curtain  was  to  be  rung  up  at  midnight,  so  our  officers  in 
formed  us.  As  this  was  the  case,  we  of  Russell's  brigade 
who  had  been  cast  for  the  more  important  parts  began  to 
rehearse  at  once,  and  in  the  calm,  misty  hours,  whilst  our 
comrades  lay  unconscious  in  dreams  in  rear  of  their  stacks — 
a  silent  audience — we  went  through  our  scenes  in  perfect 
harmony,  and  were  soon  dead-letter  perfect.  We  "fixed" 
and  "unfixed"  bayonets  so  deftly  that  we  could  scarce  hear 
ourselves  at  the  work,  and  we  deployed  as  skirmishers  and 
charged  an  imaginary  foe  in  his  unseen  rifle-pits.  Four 
men  of  the  Fifteenth  New  York  Engineers  were  assigned 
to  each  boat  as  oarsmen.  The  boats  were  to  go  and  return 
until  the  whole  of  Russell's  brigade  had  reached  the  opposite 
shore,  when  a  bridge  was  to  be  laid  down.  This  movement 
was  to  have  been  made  at  midnight,  but  Gen.  Russell — whose 
precaution  was  paramount  to  the  possibility  of  a  failure  in  the 
execution  of  his  orders  should  his  judgment  dictate  it — de 
clared  that  he  was  not  going  to  make  a  "  Balls  Bluff"  affair 
of  his  operations,  and  delayed  the  order  for  his  brigade  to 
move  until  the  first  peep  of  day.  Before  describing  the 
movement  which  followed,  let  me  call  attention  to  a  descrip 
tion  of  the  country  on  the  left  of  Fredericksburg  From  the 
top  of  the  hills  on  which  our  lines  were  formed,  overlook 
ing  the  river  the  land  sloped  abruptly,  and  in  some  places 
narrow  ravines  gullied  the  hill  sides  obliquely  to  their  base 
in  a  much  vexed  declivity.  Through  some  of  these  roads 


53 

were  constructed,  thereby  enabling  our  artillery  and  pontoon 
trains  to  reach  the  comparatively  level  ground  immediately 
adjacent  to  the  river  bank,  which  is  very  steep,  and  in  some 
places  presents  a  bluffy  appearance,  being  fringed  with  licrht 
timber.  The  southern  bank  of  the  stream,  where  we  were 
to  make  the  crossing,  was  the  same  locality  on  the  river  as 
in  Burnside's  campaign  in  December,  1862,  and  was  known 
as  "Franklin's  Crossing."  This  presented  the  same  abrupt 
water-front,  rising  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  above  the  river. 
A  few  rods  back  from  the  river  bank  rises  another  range  of 
bluffs  from  forty  to  fifty  feet  in  height,  and  then  the  open 
and  slightly  rolling  land  of  the  Bernard  Farm  is  presented  to 
view.  All  this  land  is  that  which  was  manoeuvred  over  by 
Franklin's  "Left  Grand  Division"  in  the  first  battle  of  Fred- 
ericksburg,  a  little  more  than  three  months  previous. 

Upon  receipt  of  the  order  detailing  the  Xinety-fifth  Penn 
sylvania  for  the  advance,  Colonel  Town  notified  his  company 
commanders,  and  preparations  were  at  once  commenced  for 
its  execution.  The  writer's  company,  commanded  by  Captain 
George  V/eest,  was  detailed  to  act  in  conjunction  with  other 
details  as  skirmishers  after  the  crossing  had  been  secured. 
About  11  P.  M.  the  Xinety-fifth  and  One  hundred  and  nine 
teenth  Pennsylvania  (Col.  Peter  C.  Ellmaker),  were  put  in 
motion ;  feeling  our  way  in  silence  down  the  rugged  hillsides 
in  the  gloom  of  a  drizzling  rainy  night,  we  reached  their  base 
and  joined  the  pontoniers,  who  were  busy  unloading  the  un 
wieldy  boats  from  their  trucks. 

To  each  one  of  these  pontoons  a  company  of  soldiers  were 
assigned  and  assisted  in  getting  them  to  the  river. 

This  was  a  slow  and  fatiguing  process  and  consumed  much 
valuable  time ;  finally  the  scows  were  shoved  down  the  steep 
bank  and  launched;  the  pontoniers  taking  their  places  at 
the  oars,  the  troops  soon  after  embarking  filling  the  boats  to 
their  utmost  capacity. 

The  near  approach  of  dawn  necessitated  a  prompt  move 
ment  on  our  part ;  everything  being  in  readiness,  the  order 
to  "  shove  off"  was  given  by  Gen.  Russell,  who  accompanied 
the  movement. 
5 


54 

As  the  boats  moved  out  upon  the  dark  waters  and  felt 
the  effect  of  the  current  they  drifted  together,  causing  much 
difficulty  to  the  men  at  the  oars.  Our  whole  attention, 
however,  was  now  directed  to  the  opposite  shore.  What 
reception  would  we  get  ?  Were  the  enemy  apprised  of  the 
movement  and  waiting  to  give  us  a  murderous  volley  while 
in  this  crowded  and  almost  helpless  condition  ?  for  it  seemed 
to  us  almost  impossible  that  the  noise  unavoidably  made  in 
launching  forty  large  pontoons,  and  the  little  tumult  created 
in  filling  them  with  troops,  would  pass  unnoticed  by  the 
watchful  pickets  of  the  foe.  As  we  neared  the  opposite  bank 
of  the  river,  which  is  of  no  great  width  at  this  point,  our 
eyes  were  strained  to  catch  the  first  dim  outlines  of  the  shore. 
Soon  the  shadowy  forms  of  the  trees  along  the  river  bank 
loomed  up  in  the  misty  dawn,  and  whilst  we  seemingly  held 
our  breath  in  zealous  vigilance,  there  was  a  crack  of  a  rifle, 
followed  by  the  ringing  voice  of  a  Confederate  picket,  as  he 
called,  "  Corporal  of  the  guard,  double  quick !"  With  re 
newed  energy  our  oarsmen  bent  low  to  their  work,  and  in  a 
few  moments  our  bows  struck  the  hostile  shore  almost  simul 
taneously  ;  now  came  a  fierce  scramble  up  the  steep  and  slip 
pery  banks,  made  doubly  so  by  the  rain,  which  was  still 
falling.  Many  of  the  men  missed  their  footing  and  went 
overboard,  where  they  were  compelled  to  assist  each  other  out 
as  best  they  could.  Their  more  fortunate  comrades  who  had 
gained  a  solid  footing  had  enough  to  attend  to  in  returning 
the  enemy's  fire,  which  was  instantly  opened  upon  us  from  a 
line  of  well-constructed  rifle-pits  on  the  high  bluff  back  from 
the  river.  Owing  to  the  darkness  of  the  morning  their  fire 
was  not  effective,  and  ours  was  not  much  better,  as  we  had 
but  the  flash  of  their  pieces  to  guide  us  in  our  aim.  While 
thus  engaged  we  were  startled  by  a  thundering  volley  fired 
over  our  heads  by  the  balance  of  our  brigade  across  the  river, 
which  was  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle  and  waiting  to  cross  to 
our  assistance.  The  music  of  this  leaden  hurricane,  startling 
as  it  was  to  us,  had  a  most  practical  effect  upon  the  rebels  in 
the  rifle-pits,  who  ceased  firing,  thereby  giving  us  an  oppor- 


55 

tunity  to  form  line.     Our  skirmishers  were  at  once  deployed 
and  advanced  upon  the  rifle-pits  followed  closely  by  the  two 
van  regiments,  the  Ninety-fifth   Pennsylvania  on  the  right 
and  One  hundred  and  nineteenth  Pennsylvania  on  the  left. 
Upon  gaining  the  top  of  the  bluff  the  rifle-pits  were  found 
deserted,  the  Confederates  flying  upon  our  approach,  so  we 
kept  up  the  advance  for  awhile  unmolested.    The  enemy  now 
concealed  by  the  fog  and  darkness  of  the  early  morning  halted 
in  their  retreat,  and',  crouching  low,  they  allowed  us  to  ap 
proach  quite  close  and  then  gave  us  a  volley,  but  kind  fortune 
again  favored  us  and  no  one  was  hurt.     Without  returning  a 
shot  we  went  at  them  with  a  cheer  arid  again  they  fell  back, 
and  did  not  attempt  further  resistance  until  safely  concealed 
within  the  shadows  of  Deep  Run  Ravine,  our  old  retreat  of 
December  previous.     We  then  advanced  to  within  easy  rifle 
range  of  the  ravine  just  named,  where  we  were  ordered  to  lay 
down  and  watch  the  foe  closely,  bat  not  to  fire  unless  they 
attempted  im  advance ;  our  loss  so  far  beincr  trifling  in  num 
bers.    In  these  operations  Col.  Irwin  of  the  Forty-ninth  Penn 
sylvania,  who  was   on   the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  was 
wounded,  and  one  captain  and  25  men,  principally  belonging 
to  the  Eighteenth  New  York  and  Ninety-fifth  Pennsylvania! 
We  succeeded  in  taking  a  few  prisoners  during  the  advance, 
among  whom  was  the  lieutenant-colonel  of  a  Georgia  regiment 
who  was  in  charge  of  the  pickets  along  the  river.     He  was 
comfortably  quartered  in  a  house  a  short  distance  from  the 
line  when  we  surprised  his  men;  came  running  into  our  ranks, 
and  wras  made  a  prisoner  at  once.     As  daylight  increased  and 
the  fog  lifted  the  Confederates  opened  fire  upon  us ;  we  dare 
not  reply,  strict  orders  forbid  it  at  this  time.     At  10  o'clock 
in  the  day  the  rain  stopped  and  the  sun  shone  out  in  all  his 
glory,  the  rebels  ceased  popping  at  us  and  at  once  showed  a 
disposition  to  be  on  good  terms,  trying  to  drive  a  bargain  in 
papers,  tobacco,  and  coffee.* 

*  It  had  been  a  favorite  pastime  with  many  of  us,  and  one  which  broke 
the  dulness  of  picket  routine,  to  converse  socially  with  the  Confederate 
pickets  and  trade  whatever  of  our  soldier  merchandise  we  might  have  handy 


56 

"We  felt  a  little  willing,  for  we  were  always  anxious  to  get  a 
squint  at  the  "  Johnnies' "  newspapers,  but  it  was  no  go.  Gen. 
Russell  shut  down  upon  our  port,  and  "  sat  upon"  our  com 
merce  right  lively.  Immediately  after  our  crossing  three  pon 
toon  bridges  were  laid,  the  balance  of  the  men  of  the  First 
division  wrere  hurried  across  the  river,  and  were  placed  in 
battle  order  o'er  the  plain.* 

The  30th  of  April  and  the  1st  of  May  were  spent  in  severe 
skirmishing  and  manoeuvring  for  position,  and  much  specula 
tion  was  indulged  in,  for  we  were  no  little  exercised  as  to  the 

for  newspapers  and  tobacco,  and  for  this  purpose  the  "  Yankee1'  and  his 
jack-knife  were  often  seen  whittling  away  and  putting1  into  shape  the  hull 
or  rigging  of  some  miniature  "blockader;"  these  tiny  craft  we  often 
freighted  with  copies  of  the  ''Herald"  or  "Inquirer,"  some  good  old  Gov 
ernment  Java  mixed  with  brown  sugar,  and  we  were  not  unmindful  of  the 
mail.  We  would  (when  the  wind  favored  us)  start  the  little  craft  on  her 
mission,  and  receive  in  return  a  Richmond  paper  or  two,  and  a  cargo  of  the 
"  weed."  The  writer  has  in  his  possession  a  copy  of  the  "  Richmond  Dis 
patch"  sent  to  him  on  one  of  these  tiny  vessels.  It  is  dated  January  21st, 
1863,  and  was  received  soon  after  Burnside's  "Mud  March."  It  contains 
the  following  copy  of  a  letter  received  by  the  Confederates  on  one  of  these 
amusing  occasions. 

JANUARY  17TH,  1863. 
"  GENTS  ON  CONFEDERATE  STATE  DUTY  : — 

"  We  had  the  pleasure  to  receive  your  letter,  and  very  glad  to  find  you  in 
good  spirits.  We  are  sorry  not  to  have  any  newspapers  on  hand,  but  will 
get  some  as  soon  as  possible.  We  send  you  coffee  whenever  the  wind  per 
mits  us  to  do  so.  Can't  one  of  you  come  over  this  evening  in  the  little  boat 
you  have  there  ?  We  will  not  keep  you.  In  the  hope  that  Jeff.  Davis  and 
Abe  Lincoln  will  give  us  peace,  we  send  our  best  respects. 

"Co.  A.  46th  Reg.  N.  Y.  S.  V." 

*  Fifteen  bridges  were  laid  at  different  points  for  the  use  of  the  army 
during  this  campaign.  The  campaign  opened  with  the  construction  of  a 
canvas  raft  at  Port  Conway,  about  fourteen  miles  below  Fredericksburg,  on 
the  20th  of  April.  A  canvas  bridge  was  built  at  Kelly's  Ford  on  the  28th 
of  April,  and  the  following  day  three  pontoon  bridges  were  laid  at  Franklin's 
Crossing,  and  three  at  the  mouth  of  Pollock's  Creek.  Two  were  laid  at 
United  States  Ford  on  the  30th,  and  another  on  the  4th  of  May.  On  the 
3d  of  May,  two  bridges  were  thrown  across  the  river  in  front  of  Fredericks- 
burg,  and  one  at  Banks'  Ford,  and  another  at  United  States  Ford. 


57 

results  of  Hooker's  generalship  on  the  right.     On  the  30th,  at 
dusk,  the  following  order  was  issued  to  us: 

HEAD-QUARTERS  ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC, 
Camp  near  Falmouth,  Virginia,  April  30th,  1863. 

It  is  with  heartfelt  satisfaction  that  the  commanding  Gen 
eral  announces  to  the  army  that  the  operations  of  the  last 
three  days  have  determined  that  our  enemy  must  either  in- 
gloriously  fly  or  come  out  from  behind  his  defences  and  give  us 
battle  on  our  own  ground,  where  certain  destruction  awaits 
him.  The  operations  of  the  Fifth,  Eleventh,  and  Twelfth 
Corps  have  been  a  succession  of  splendid  achievements. 
By  command  of  Major-General  Hooker, 

S.  Williams,  Assistant  Adjutant-General. 

We  listened  to  the  reading  of  this  order  with  a  confiding 
attention,  and  so  soon  as  the  adjutant's  voice  died  out,  we 
broke  into  deafening  cheers,  threw  up  our  caps,  and  smiled 
double  smiles  at  each  other.    We  now  fully  believed  "  Fighting 
Joe"   (Hooker's   military   soubriquet)   would   demolish    Lee 
and  end  the  war  in  a  few  months.     Our  bands  mounted  the 
ramparts,  and  played  "Dixie,"  "We  are  marching  down  to 
Dixie's  Land,"  "  Ain't  I  glad  I  got  out  of  the  Wilderness,"  and 
many  other  favorite  and  national  airs.    On  the  morning  of  the 
second  we  were  aroused  at  daybreak,  and  remained  in  line 
the  greater  part  of  the  day,  expecting  an  engagement  momen 
tarily.     About  seven  o'clock,  the  enemy  opened  upon  us  with 
artillery,  but  in  our  safe  position  on  the  flats  between  the 
bluff  and  river  bank,  it  was  a  difficult  matter  for  him  to  dis 
turb  us  ;  his  shells  passing  harmlessly  over  us  wrould  strike  the 
opposite  river  bank  with  a  solid  thud,  and  in  some  instances 
descended  almost  vertically  into  the  river,  sending  up  a  col 
umn  of  water,  the  diameter  of  the  shot,  to  a  height  of  twenty 
or  thirty  feet.     While  the  firing  was  at  its  height,  it  was  sin 
gular  to  note  the  actions  of  the  men :  our  muskets  were  stacked 
in  line,  and  the  troops  either  standing  about  in  close  proximity, 
or  laying  down  in  groups,  ready  to  spring  to  arms  at  a  moment's 


58 

notice ;  no  particular  attention  was  paid  to  the  shells  as  they 
flew  over  us  ;  greenbacks  were  uncommonly  plenty  among  the 
boys,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  paymaster  had  visited  our 
corps  previous  to  commencing  the  campaign,  and  many  of  the 
men  had  no  opportunity  of  sending  their  money  home,  know 
ing  that  they  were  on  the  eve  of  an  engagement,  and  uncer 
tain  as  to  what  their  lot  might  be,  no  doubt  felt  a  little 
reckless  as  to  what  they  did  with  their  money.  However,  all 
sorts  of  games  of  chance  were  at  once  started,  from  three-card 
monte  to  balancing  a  penny  on  a  peg,  and  taking  your  chance 
of  knocking  it  oft'  at  so  many  paces.  Here  would  be  a  group 
seated  around  a  gum  blanket  spread  upon  the  ground,  with 
their  stakes  piled  in  front  of  them,  while  they  anxiously 
watched  the  dealer  as  he  shuffled  the  cards ;  suddenly  the 
whiz  and  shriek  of  a  shell  would  be  heard  approaching,  as  it 
would  draw  uncomfortably  near ;  now  their  hands  stretched 
out  instinctively  towards  their  money,  while  their  eyes  were 
turned  aloft,  like  ducks  looking  for  a  squall.  As  the  unwel 
come  intruder  passed  beyond  their  immediate  vicinity,  their 
hands  would  be  withdrawn,  and  the  game  go  on  serenely. 
Just  before  sundown  we  were  called  to  arms,  and  advanced 
upon  the  plain  in  support  of  the  skirmishers  of  the  Light 
Division,  which  made  a  gallant  charge,  driving  the  enemy 
steadily  before  them,  until  they  finally  took  refuge'  in  their 
intrenchments  on  the  heights,  leaving  us  in  peaceful  posses 
sion  of  the  plain. 

It  was  a  most  brilliant  affair,  the  day  was  just  declining, 
the  red  streaks  of  sunlight  stole  o'er  the  battle  scape,  and  stab 
bed  the  little  puff's  of  white  smoke  as  they  belched  from  the 
rifles  ;  and  to  see  the  "Johnnies"  scamper  through  this  did 
our  hearts  good  at  this  time,  for  we  knew  not  of  the  Confederates' 
keen  cut  to  our  army  on  the  right,  The  Second  and  Third 
divisions  of  the  Sixth  Corps  commenced  crossing  so  soon  as  we 
of  the  First  division  advanced,  and  after  a  temporary  disposi 
tion  of  our  forces  had  been  made,  the  entire  corps  bivouacked  on 
the  plains  near  Fredericksburg.  It  was  a  most  beautiful  night ; 
the  full  moon  shone  in  all  her  splendor,  lighting  up  the  martial 
scene  with  almost  noon  lay  refulgence,  while  the  balmy  breeze 


59 

wafted  to  our  ears  the  sound  of  the  deadly  conflict  raging 
with  unabated  fury  at  Chancellorsville.  About  midnight 
we  were  aroused  by  an  alarm  of  musketry  on  the  left  of  our 
line ;  after  remaining  under  arms  for  a  short  time,  the  firing 
gradually  ceased,  it  simply  being  an  affair  of  the  pickets.  We 
again  laid  down,  securing  a  little  more  sleep,  but  were  under 
arms,  and  ready  for  an  advance  long  before  daylight.  About 
4  A.  M.  of  the  3d  (May)  the  Sixth  Corps  commenced  opera 
tions  in  earnest,  by  extending  its  lines,  the  Second  and  Third 
divisions  taking  ground  to  the  right  toward  Fredericksburg. 
So  soon  as  this  movement  began,  the  enemy's  picket  opened 
a  general  fusilade ;  the  flash  from  their  pieces  in  the  dim 
morning  light  resembling  so  many  fire-flies,  while,  from  the 
heights  the  great  guns  illuminated  the  inky  back-ground  of 
the  picture  as  they  discharged  their  bolts  in  the  supposed  di 
rections  of  the  advancing  column.  About  six  o'clock,  Rus 
sell's  brigade  moved  a  little  to  the  left  and  front,  in  support 
of  Battery  D  (Second  U.  S.  A.),  until  the  balance  of  the  First 
division  could  move  out  to  co-operate  with  the  storming  col 
umn  which  was  now  preparing  to  assault  Marye's  Height,  a 
series  of  fortified  hills,  rendered  well  nigh  impregnable  by  na 
ture.  At  a  consultation  of  Generals  (Sixth  Corps)  very  early 
on  Sunday  morning,  it  was  agreed  that  the  Second  bri 
gade  of  Newton's  division,  now  commanded  by  Colonel 
Thomas  D.  Johns  (Seventh  Massachusetts),  should  carry 
the  works  on  the  extreme  right.  But  the  plan  was  soon 
afterwards  changed,  and  the  honor  given  to  the  Light  Divi 
sion.  The  Seventh  Massachusetts  and  Thirty-sixth  New 
York,  of  Johns'  brigade,  were  added  to  the  Light  Division, 
and  Colonel  Johns  was  selected  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  the 
storming  column.  These  hills  were  occupied  by  Gen.  Early, 
with  seven  brigades  of  infantry  and  thirty  pieces  of  artillery, 
chiefly  belonging  to  the  Washington  Artillery  of  New  Orleans ; 
one  brigade,  Wilcox's  (Alabama  troops)  was  toward  the  river 
— Banks'  Ford.  Early's  force  numbered  about  nine  thou 
sand  men,  and  included  Barksdale's  brigade  (Mississippians), 
of  McLaws'  Division. 

Marye's  Heights  was  part  of  an  extensive  estate,  just  in  the 


60 

rear  of  Fredericksburg,  and  belonged  to  Mr.  John  L.  Marye. 
It  was  known  as  "Brompton."  Mr.  Marye's  elegant  mansion 
was  situated  most  pleasantly  upon  the  heights,  and  had  suf 
fered  much  damage,  swept  by  the  storm  of  war.  Fifty  can 
non  balls  were  sent  through  the  parlor  alone,  and  its  lovely 
solitude  was  otherwise  scathed.  These  heights  were  those 
smote  by  Burnside  in  December,  1862.  The  disaster  to 
Hooker's  army  at  Chancellors ville — the  flanking  and  flying  of 
the  Eleventh  and  Twelfth  Corps — and  the  Confederate  disaster, 
the  death  wounding  of  "  Stonewall"  Jackson,  were  all  unknown 
to  Gen.  Sedgwick,  and  his  orders  at  this  time  were  so  complex 
that  he  was  puzzled  to  understand  the  real  intentions  of  his 
chief. **  In  the  mean  time,  while  the  preparations  were  being 
made  to  assault  the  heights,  the  Confederate  batteries  opened 
upon  our  ammunition  and  ambulance  train,  which  was  now 
coming  toward  us  from  the  river,  and  for  awhile  the  scene 
was  most  exciting.  These  vehicles  and  their  frightened  ani 
mals  were  dashing  o'er  the  plain  in  all  directions,  seeking 
shelter  behind  every  hillock  or  knoll  within  their  reach. 
Our  guns  remained  silent  all  this  time  with  the  cannoniers 
lying  beside  them,  and  the  drivers  stood  quietly  at  their 
horses'  heads,  while  the  shot  grooved  and  furrowed  the 
ground,  in  all  directions,  or  passed  harmlessly  between  or 

*  At  11  o'clock  in  the  night  of  the  2d  of  May,  Gen.  Sedgwick  received  an 
order  from  Gen.  Hooker  (who  evidently  knew  little  of  the  former's  position) 
directing  him  to  take  up  his  bridges,  relay  them  at  Fredericksburg,  seize 
the  town,  and  march  at  once  over  the  Chancellorsville  road  (Gordonsville 
Plank  Road),  until  he  connected  with  the  troops  on  the  right.  The  order 
said  Sedgwick  must  attack  and  destroy  any  force  he  might  fall  in  with  on 
the  road,  and  be  in  the  vicinity  of  Hooker  at  daylight  (3d),  when  the  two 
were  to  use  up  the  Confederate  army.  Hooker  had  now  calculated  the  de 
struction  of  a  foe  twice  our  number,  and  after  his  own  failure  to  make  the 
enemy  "  ingloriously  fly,"  how  swiftly  he  would  set  a  march  over  a  road, 
already  strewn  with  reinforcements  (from  the  enemy  in  his  front),  to  Early 
now  in  strong  force,  on  Marye's  Heights.  The  execution  of  this  order 
was  impossible,  considering  the  obstacles  in  our  way,  and  Gen.  Sedgwick 
stated  before  the  Committee  on  the  Conduct  of  the  War  (p.  99),  that  the 
movement  was  impossible  at  the  time  he  received  the  order  to  advance,  had 
there  not  been  a  rebel  soldier  in  his  front.  The  attack,  when  it  was  made,  as 
we  have  shown,  was  not  battling  with  shadows. 


61 

over  the  guns,  bounding  away  across  the  plain;  finally, 
seeing  that  their  practice  was  at  fault,  the  enemy  ceased 
firing.*  It  was  now  drawing  near  noon.  The  Sixth  Corps 
was  in  the  following  order :  First  division  on  the  left ;  next 
on  the  right,  in  front  of  Marye's  Heights,  was  the  Second 
division,  formed  in  three  columns  of  attack.  The  Light 
Division,  Colonel  Burnham,  was  immediately  in  front  of 
the  stone  wall  on  the  left  of  the  road  leading  up  and  through 
Marye's  Heights,  while  in  close  supporting  distance,  with  its 
assaulting  column  thrown  forward,  was  the  Third  division, 
the  whole  representing  a  line  of  battle  about  five  miles 
in  length.  One  brigade  of  Gibbon's  division  of  the  Second 
Corps  was  in  the  town  (Fredericksburg)  and  the  other  two 
brigades  were  across  the  river. f  All  being  in  readiness,  the 
batteries  of  Adams,  Butler,  Harn,  Harris,  Hazard,  Hexamer, 
and  McCartney  pounded  away  at  the  glacis  before  the  infan 
try  moved  to  the  attack.  During  this  cannonade,  the  Con 
federates  again  proved  their  practice  in  gunnery  to  be  most  in 
ferior  to  ours,  but  their  sharp-shooters  were  most  annoying,  and 

*  About  10  A.M.  the  Ninety-fifth  and  the  One  hundred  and  nineteenth 
Pennsylvania  were  ordered  to  advance  across  the  plain  and  take  position  in 
Deep  Run  ravine  (leaving  behind  the  Eighteenth  and  Thirty-second  New 
York,  whose  terms  of  service  would  soon  expire)  ;  this  movement  was  the  sig 
nal  for  a  fresh  demonstration  from  the  rebel  batteries;  as  we  advanced  by 
the  flank  in  four  ranks,  we  received  their  fire  obliquely  across  the  line,  but 
suffered  very  little  from  it.  Upon  reaching  the  shelter  of  the  ravine,  we 
formed  line  along  the  crest  of  its  slope,  where  we  were  comparatively  safe. 
Immediately  following  came  our  batteries,  and  here  was  another  exciting 
scene.  Battery  "  D,"  Second  Regulars,  was  in  the  van  ;  as  they  approached 
the  ravine  they  became  the  target  for  the  enemy's  gunners,  who  concentrated 
their  fire  on  the  point  of  the  road  where  it  swept  down  into  the  ravine,  and 
over  which  our  pet  battery  had  to  pass ;  but  the  brave  fellows  never  fal 
tered,  keeping  on  at  a  walk,  as  though  on  review,  while  the  shot  and  shell 
flew  over  and  around  their  heads.  We  cheered  them  lustily  as  they  trotted 
down  the  ravine  to  take  their  designated  place  in  line,  with  the  balance  of 
the  First  division,  which  quickly  followed  us. 

f  When  Gen.  Hooker  commenced  his  campaign,  Gibbons's  division  was 
encamped  in  a  conspicuous  place,  in  full  view  of  the  enemy  ;  so  it  was  deemed 
advisable  not  to  move  the  men  until  after  the  campaign  had  begun.  On  the 
night  of  the  2d,  Gibbons  was  ordered  to  report  to  Gen.  Sedgwick  with  his 
command. 


62 

worried  our  gunners,  near  the  Bernard  House,  considerably. 
Early  in  the  day  Gen.  Brooks  sent  forward  Bartlett's  brigade 
to  dislodge  these  sharp-shooters,  and  occupy  the  ground  held 
by  them.  After  a  brief  struggle  on  the  Bowling  Green  Road 
the  enemy  was  driven  off,  but  the  new  position  was  soon 
enfiladed  by  the  Confederate  artillery,  when  Bartlett  was 
ordered  to  withdraw. 

In  this  little  affair  the  Fifth  Maine  had  twenty-one  men 
killed  and  wounded,  including  its  Adjutant,  Geo.  A.  Bicknell, 
Captain  E.  M.  Robinson,  and  Lieut.  0.  Vf  Stevens.  Eive  men 
were  killed  and  eighteen  wounded  in  the  Ninety-sixth  Pennsyl 
vania.  A  furious  onslaught  was  now  made  upon  the  heights, 
and  as  we  of  the  First,  division  advanced  a  short  distance 
beyond  Deep  Run,  we  could  see  the  Confederates  in  great 
confusion  falling  back  before  the  blue  tide  rolling  up  the 
steep  places  in  our  front.  It  was  the  men  of  our  Second  and 
Light  Divisions  in  the  mid-day  sun,  their  gunbarrels  glisten 
ing,  and  the  colors  of  our  country  borne  aloft  in  the  hands  of 
the  brave  sons  of  Maine,  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Wiscon 
sin,  Massachusetts,  Vermont,  and  New  Jersey.  These  were 
plainly  visible.  This  splendid  body  of  men  scaled  Marye's 
Heights  and  took  them.  Ten  thousand  undaunted  sons  of 
the  Union  had  drenched  these  heights  with  their  blood  in 
December  previous.  That  failure  was  Burnside's  Forlorn 
Hope.  On  the  3d  of  May,  1863,  these  barriers  yielded  to  five 
thousand  men  under  Sedgwick's  command.* 

*  The  honor  of  planting  first  the  Union  colors  upon  the  works  on  Marye's 
Heights  is  claimed  by  so  many  regiments  that  it  is  difficult  to  understand 
which  one  of  these  claimants  is  entitled  to  the  undivided  glory.  The  credit 
was  generally  accorded  to  the  Sixth  Maine  at  the  date  of  the  battle,  but  it  soon 
after  became  a  source  of  much  argument,  and  other  regiments  asserting  their 
rights  to  the  honor,  have,  in  an  official  way,  given  some  importance  to  the 
question.  The  official  report  of  the  Sixth  Maine  in  this  action  says :  "  The 
supporting  regiments  on  the  right  and  left  broke  under  the  terrific  fire,  and 
the  enemy  turned  their  attention  to  the  Sixth  Maine  and  Fifth  Wisconsin. 
The  whole  of  the  enemy's  fire  swept  through  the  devoted  ranks  of  the  two 
regiments,  but  with  wild  cheers  the  men  rushed  on  the  fortifications  and  the 
victory  was  won  in  four  minutes  from  the  commencement  of  the  attack.  The 
flag  of  the  Sixth  Maine  was  the  first  to  wave  from  the  battlements  of  the 


63 

At  mid-day  Brooks's  Division  was  withdrawn  from  the 
left  leaving  Gen.  Russell  with  two  regiments  of  his  brigade, 
the  Eighteenth  and  Thirty-second,  to  cover  the  rear.  Taking 


enemy's  works."  An  eye  witness,  Surgeon  Stevens  (Seventy-seventh  New 
York),  says  in  his  work,  "  Three  Years  in  the  Sixth  Corps"  (page  199), 
"  We  of  the  Second  Division  looked  with  admiration  upon  the  advancing 
line  ;  our  flag — it  was  the  flag  of  the  Sixth  Maine — in  advance  of  the  others 
its  brave  color  guard  bounding  forward,  then  halting  a  moment  while  the 
men  came  up,  then  dashing  forward  again  and  finally  gaining  the  heights 
before  us  all.  It  was  a  noble  spectacle,  and  filled  our  hearts  with  pride  for 
our  brave  comrades  of  the  Light  Division.  The  Light  Division  secured 
as  trophies  about  seven  hundred  prisoners  and  five  cannon."  The  official 
report  of  the  Thirty-first  New  York  ("  Light  Division")  says  :  "  The  action 
was  short  but  decisive,  and  the  State  colors  of  the  regiment  were  the  first  in 
the  enemy's  works,  riddled  in  its  passage  thither  by  a  whole  charge  of  grape- 
shot."  The  official  report  of  the  Thirty-sixth  New  York  Volunteers  says : 
"  The  signal  being  given,  the  Seventh  Massachusetts  and  Thirty-sixth  New 
York  moved  forward  simultaneously  with  the  Flying  Division  up  the  Gordons- 
ville  Road  and  deployed  along  the  stone  wall,  charged  the  batteries  to  the 
right,  capturing  two  guns,  the  Thirty-sixth  New  York  reaching  them  first." 
"  Special  Orders  No.  839  (1863)  War  Department,  referring  to  Captain  I. 
Townsend  Daniel  (Company  D,  a  brave  officer  of  this  regiment),  says:— 

"And  led  the  right  company  of  the  Thirty-sixth  New  York  Infantry 
(which  regiment  was  the  first  to  plant  its  colors  on  the  heights)  at  the 
storming  of  Marye's  Heights,  Fredericksburg.  Among  Howe's  regiment  the 
same  contra-opinion  prevailed.  Colonel  afterwards  Brevet  Maj.-Gen.  Louis 
A.  Grant,  who  commanded  the  Second  brigade  ('  Vermonters'),  has  claimed 
the  honor  of  first  reaching  the  heights  for  the  Thirty-third  New  York,  and  says 
the  Sixth  Vermont  was  the  second  regiment  to  gain  the  heights."  Surgeon 
Geo.  L.  Stevens  says  (page  97):  "  Three  Years  in  the  Sixth  Corps"  (foot-note) 
that  "Gen.  L.  A.  Grant  in  his  report  does  unintentional  injustice  to  a  brave 

regiment, The  Thirty-third  was  not  the  first  to  gain  the 

heights  on  that  part  of  the  line.  The  testimony  of  Gen.  Neill,  as  well  as  of 
the  members  of  the  regiment  and  the  many  trophies  it  captured,  fully  estab 
lish  the  claim  of  the  Seventy-seventh  New  York  to  the  honor." 

"  The  Seventy-seventh  New  York  captured  a  stand  of  colors  belonging  to 
the  Eighteenth  Mississippi,  two  heavy  guns,  a  large  number  of  prisoners, 
among  whom  was  Col.  Luce  of  the  Eighteenth  Mississippi,  besides  great 
numbers  of  small  arms." 

"As  the  regiment  reached  the  heights,  says  the  same  'authority,'  and  took 
possession  of  the  guns,  Gen.  Howe  rode  up,  and  taking  off  his  hat,  exclaimed, 
'  Noble  Seventy-seventh,  you  have  covered  yourselves  with  glory.'  The  Gen 
eral's  words  were  greeted  with  tumultuous  cheers." 


64 

the  Bowling  Green  Road  to  Fredericksburg,  we  entered  the 
southeastern  portion  of  the  town,  thence  filing  left,  passed 
out  on  the  Gordonsville  Plank  Road,  halting  a  few  moments. 
Here,  in  the  middle  of  the  road,  was  standing  some  pieces  of 
the  celebrated  Washington  Artillery  which  were  captured  on 
the  heights.  We  now  had  a  good  opportunity  to  a  full  view 
of  this  celebrated  and  much-talked-of  terror ;  a  more  miserable 
set  of  animals  were  never  seen  than  those  attached  to  these 
guns  and  caissons,  and  the  dilapidated  harness  would  have 
shamed  the  artillery  branch  of  "Walker's  filibusters."  Mary  e's 
Heights  were  not  won  without  heavy  loss  to  us.  Col.  Spear 
of  the  gallant  Sixty-first  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  than  whom 
none  were  braver,  had  fallen  pierced  to  death  at  the  head  of 
the  assaulting  column.  Col.  Johns  of  the  Seventh  Massa 
chusetts  had  fallen  in  a  moment  of  importance  to  our  success, 
and  the  Thirty-first  New  York's  heroes  strewed  the  slopes,  and 
mangled  corpses  and  animals'  carcasses  dotted  the  streets  of 
Fredericksburg,  which  now  seemed  one  vast  litter  for  the 
groaning  and  expiring,  and  its  sidewalks  were  disordered  with 
bloody  garments  stripped  from  gory  bodies  and  thrown  aside 
in  the  great  haste  to  help  some  sufferer.  Hooker's  army  was 
now  in  such  a  position  that  the  Confederate  commander 
was  free  to  clip  either  wing  of  his  antagonist  and  leave  him  a 
crippled  thing  among  the  marshes  of  the  Rappahannock.  But 
the  advantage  was  lost  in  Confederate  grief  for  the  dying 
Jackson  and  ignorance  of  the  real  state  of  affairs  within  the 
Union  lines.  The  way  was  now  open  from  Fredericks 
burg  to  the  heights  for  Sedgwick  to  carry  out  the  instructions 
received  the  night  of  the  2d  to  join  Hooker.  The  First 
division  was  given  the  advance,  and  we  all  supposed  the 
enemy  to  be  in  full  retreat  towards  Chancellorsville.  After  a 
short  march  in  column  along  the  Gordonsville  Plank  Road, 
we  (Brooks's  First  division)  were  formed  in  the  following 
order:— 

The  First  brigade  (New  Jersey),  under  Col.  Brown  (with 
the  exception  of  four  companies  of  the  Second  Regiment  and 
Fifteenth  Regiment),  were  on  the  left  of  the  plank  road  in 
double  line  of  battle.  With  six  companies  of  the  Second 


65 

Regiment  deployed  as  skirmishers  on  the  right  and  left  of 
the  road  (these  skirmishers  were  under  Lieut.-Col.  Wiebecke 
of  the  Second  New  Jersey).  The  Second  brigade,  Col.  Bart- 
lett's,  was  in  supporting  distance  on  the  left  of  the  road.  The 
Ninety-fifth  Pennsylvania,  now  temporarily  under  Lieut.-Col. 
Hall,  and  the  Hundred  and  nineteenth  Pennsylvania,  Col. 
Peter  C.  Ellmaker,  of  Russell's  brigade,  were  under  Col. 
Town  of  the  former  regiment,  and  moved  in  a  single  line  of 
battle  on  the  right  of  the  plank  road;  the  artillery  was  under 
Col.  Tompkins,  and  consisted  of  the  batteries  of  Rigby,  Par 
sons,  and  Willston. 

The  New  Jersey  brigade  was  composed  of  the  First,  Second, 
Third,  Fourth,  and  Fifteenth  Regiments  (the  latter  regiment 
and  four  companies  of  the  Second  Regiment  were  absent  from 
the  brigade  at  this  time,  and  wTere  not  in  the  fight). 

Bartlett's  brigade  consisted  of  the  Sixteenth,  the  Twenty- 
seventh,  and  the  Hundred  and  twenty-first  New  York,  Fifth 
Maine,  and  Ninety-sixth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 

Two  regiments  of  the  Third  brigade,  the  Ninety-fifth  and 
Hundred  and  nineteenth  Pennsylvania,  were  the  only  troops 
of  this  brigade  with  the  division  at  this  time;  the  Eighteenth 
and  Thirty-second  New  York  having  remained  below  Fred- 
ericksburg  with  Gen.  Russell.  These  ten  regiments  of  the 
First  division  (Sixth  Corps)  now  numbered  less  than  4000 
muskets ;  they  had  lost  considerably  since  crossing  the  river, 
and  large  details  for  special  services  had  also  thinned  their 
ranks. 

The  Second  and  Light  Divisions,  which  had  stormed  the 
heights,  formed  our  reserve  lines  of  battle  beyond  our  batteries, 
and  the  Third  division  was  on  the  right,  and  in  reserve.  This 
handful  of  men  (the  First  division)  scarcely  one-fifth  of  Sedg- 
wick's  command,  were  all  the  troops  engaged  in  the  assault  on 
Salem  Church.  It  was  about  4  o'clock  when  these  arrange 
ments  were  completed.  In  this  manner  (described  above)  we 
passed  up  the  plank-road,  under  the  gallant  Brooks,  following 
the  enemy  closely,  but  meeting  with  no  opposition  until  reach 
ing  a  point  about  two  miles  from  Fredericksburg.  Here  the 
road  describes  a  slight  curve  round  a  small  pine  grove.  As 


66 

the  head  of  our  column  was  rounding  this  point  a  section  of 
artillery  stationed  in  the  middle  of  the  road  about  eight  hun 
dred  yards  distant  and  near  a  toll-gate  opened  upon  us  with 
shell,  the  first  shot  killing  one  of  our  artillery  sergeants.  For 
a  few  minutes  the  fence  rails  and  small  pines  were .  hurled 
about  like  chaff  as  the  shot  tore  through  the  woods. 

The  Confederate  skirmishers  were  soon  encountered  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Taylor  House,  and  driven  steadily  back.  On 
the  right  of  the  plank-road  the  country  was  open,  offering  but 
few  advantages  for  the  Confederates  to  find  cover ;  occasion 
ally  they  would  take  position  behind  a  rail  fence  and  show  a 
disposition  to  dispute  the  ground  with  us,  when  our  two  regi 
ments  (on  the  right)  would  trail  arms  and  take  up  the  double 
quick  with  a  cheer,  upon  which  the  enemy  would  promptly 
come  to  the  "right  about"  and  move  off,  but  the  troops  on 
the  left  did  not  fare  so  well  in  their  advance,  as  the  ground 
over  which  they  had  to  pass  was  broken  and  covered  with 
timber  and  underbrush;  in  some  places  the  timber  was  cut 
and  piled  as  cord-wood,  forming  an  excellent  defensible  posi 
tion.  From  our  point  of  view  on  the  open  ground,  the  ad 
vance  on  the  left  was  a  good  representation  of  the  American 
style  of  bush  fighting;  occasionally  you  would  see  a  group  of 
"Yanks"  making  a  resolute  rush  at  a  pile  of  wood,  from  be 
hind  which  a  party  of  "Johnnies"  would  deliver  a  spiteful  fire 
until  our  men  would  be  almost  on  top  of  them,  when  they 
would  seek  shelter  behind  the  next  pile,  receiving  the  fire  of 
our  boys  as  they  ran.  Sometimes  our  boys  in  their  eager 
ness  to  close  with  the  enemy  would  get  it  a  little  hot,  and  they 
in  turn  would  come  hopping  out  of  a  thicket  in  a  hurry,  but 
only  to  try  it  again.  In  this  manner  we  kept  the  "Johnnies" 
moving  at  a  pretty  rapid  gait,  their  artillery  limbering  and 
moving  down  the  road  as  we  approached,  when  at  a  safe  dis 
tance  they  would  "go  about,"  "  unlimber,"  and  open  fire  again. 
It  was  now  nearly  sunset.  We  had  by  this  time  reached  a 
point  about  four  miles  beyond  Fredericksburg,  near  Salem 
Church ;  here  our  guns  went  into  position  on  a  slightly  ele 
vated  plateau  on  the  right  of  the  plank-road  near  the  toll- 
gate,  from  which  the  ground  sloped  gently  towards  a  belt  of 


67 

timber  four  or  five  hundred  yards  in  our  front.  This  wood 
land  was  a  continuation  of  the  forest  on  the  left  of  the  road 
through  which  the  First  and  Second  brigades  were  advanc 
ing,  our  line  of  battle  not  being  over  1000  yards  in  length. 
On  this  descending  plain  towards  the  wood  on  the  right  the 
Ninety-fifth  and  One  hundred  and  nineteenth  Pennsylvania 
advanced  in  perfect  order;  our  skirmishers  now  entered  the 
woods  and  were  at  once  hotty  engaged  by  a  strong  force  of 
the  enemy,*  who  were  intrenched  along  a  dirt  road  running 
through  the  woods  parallel  with  our  line  of  battle  and  near 
the  church.  A  few  rods  in  advance  of  this  woods  Col.  Town 
halted  his  small  brigade,  and  we  lay  down  behind  a  low  brush 
fence  for  a  few  moments  while  the  gallant  Jersey  skirmishers 
in  front  peppered  the  now  seemingly  broken  and  confused 
mass  of  Confederates  who  swarmed  about  the  little  chapel 
in  front.  However,  the  enemy  by  this  time  were  receiving 
heavy  reinforcements  from  Lee's  army  at  Chancellorsville,  and 
meanwhile  the  Jerseymen  and  Bartlett's  men  on  our  left  were 
sharply  engaged,  having  charged  the  Confederatesf  in  their 
strong  position  at  the  school-house,  seizing  that  stronghold, 
with  its  miniature  garrison,  whom  they  made  temporary  pris 
oners,  and  were  in  turn  driven  oft1,  losing  heavily.  Ammuni 
tion  now  running  low,  our  men  began  to  fall  back;  quickly 
our  line  of  battle  sprang  to  its  feet  to  confront  the  swarms 
of  rebels  which  now  poured  out  of  the  woods  line  upon  line, 

*  Wilcox's  Brigade  (Anderson's  Division)  of  Alabama,  consisting  of  the 
Eighth,  Ninth,  Tenth,  Eleventh,  and  Fourteenth  regiments  who  had  moved 
up  from  Banks'  Ford,  which  point  it  had  been  watching.  Too  late  to  assist 
early  upon  the  heights,  these  troops  were  hastily  thrown  into  position  across 
Sedgwick's  path. 

t  Barksdale's  and  Hayes'  Brigade  ("  Louisiana  Tigers")  which  had  occu 
pied  the  heights;  the  former's  regiments  were  the  Thirteenth,  Seventeenth, 
Eighteenth,  and  Twenty-first  Mississippi.  Hayes'  Brigade,  was  composed  of 
the  Fifth,  Sixth,  Seventh,  Eighth,  and  Ninth  Louisiana.  Beside  these  Con 
federates  Lee  had  detached  from  his  army  in  Hooker's  front  with  commend 
able  audacity  a  large  force  under  Gen.  McLaws.  These  were  Kershaw's, 
Wofford's  and  Semmes'  brigades  of  McLaws'  Division,  and  Mahone's  Brigade 
of  Anderson's  Division  (Report  of  Gen.  Lee  upon  the  battle  of  Chaucellors- 
ville,  page  12). 


68 

firing  and  yelling  with  demoniacal  fury  as  they  advanced. 
Bravely  our  two  little  regiments,  under  Col.  Town,  strove  to 
resist  the  overwhelming  torrent  which  now  overlapped  our 
right  and  threatened  total  annihilation.  Finally,  after  a  des 
perate  struggle,  which  scarcely  lasted  ten  minutes,  we  were 
forced  to  give  way,  and  together  with  the  troops  on  the  left 
seek  shelter  behind  our  guns  on  the  elevation  just  in  rear. 
Almost  200  of  the  Ninety-fifth  were  left  weltering  in  their 
gore  upon  the  bloody  plain.  Among  the  first  to  fall  was  our 
brave  Col.  (Town),  shot  through  the  head,  killed  almost  in 
stantly,  quickly  followed  by  Lieut.-Col.  Hall  and  Adjutant 
Dunton,  both  shot  dead.  Our  major,  Thomas  J.  Town,  and 
a  younger  brother,  Lieut.  Samuel  Town,  were  both  wounded 
about  the  same  time,  the  three  brothers  being  struck  almost 
simultaneously.  Upon  reaching  the  cover  of  our  batteries,  a 
storm  of  shell  and  canister  was  rained  upon  the  advancing 
foe,  who  were  quickly  driven  back  to  the  shelter  of  the  woods, 
leaving  some  prisoners  in  our  hands,  who  had  followed  us  up 
so  closely  that  they  were  forced  to  surrender.  Here  we  re 
formed  our  sadly  shattered  ranks.* 


*  The  First  division  being  all  engaged,  I  was  ordered  by  Gen.  Newton  to 
move  with  two  regiments  to  the  right  of  the  road,  and  to  take  general  direc 
tion  of  the  operations  on  that  portion  of  the  battle-ground.  A  deep  ravine, 
with  a  stream  in  it,  beyond  the  Morrison  House,  was  soon  crossed  by  the 
Ninety-third  Pennsylvania,  Captain  Long,  and  One  hundred  and  second 
Pennsylvania,  Colonel  Kinkead  (the  One  hundred  and  thirty-ninth  Pennsyl 
vania,  Colonel  Collier,  being  left  supporting  a  battery,  but  came  up  soon 
after),  and  crossing  the  ridge  beyond,  they  were  soon  engaged  under  a  terrific 
fire  of  musketry  from  a  hidden  foe.  To  sustain  this  fire  many  minutes  was 
evidently  impossible,  and  I  immediately  despatched  staff  officers  to  the  rear 
to  bring  up  troops  with  which  to  form  a  second  line,  and  others  to  assist  in 
delaying  the  retirement  of  the  One  hundred  and  second,  and  Ninety-third, 
which  was  soon  anticipated.  Before  they  were  pushed  back,  the  troops  on 
the  left  were  driven  towards  us  in  confusion  by  overwhelming  odds,  and  by 
the  time  a  second  line  was  formed,  the  battalions  of  the  enemy  were  rushing 
up  the  ravine  we  had  just  crossed,  and  for  a  few  moments  it  seemed  hardly 
possible  to  hold  our  position  ;  but  the  rebel  regiments  could  not  keep  formed 
under  our  heavy  fire,  and  gradually  retired  with  heavy  loss,  while  our  most 
advanced  line  moved  off  in  good  order  by  its  right  flank,  and  formed  in  rear 
of  the  batteries  behind  our  second.  The  Ninety-eighth  Pennsylvania  and 


69 

Shortly  after  this  disaster  at  the  church,  Gen.  Newton  became 
warmly  engaged  on  the  right  flank,  which  was  on  the  woody 
slopes  at  some  distance  to  the  right  and  rear  of  our  original 
line  of  battle.  Fresh  bodies  of  troops  from  Lee's  army 
(McLaws  and  Anderson's  divisions)  now  poured  in  on  both 
flanks,  and  our  bleeding  and  broken  lines  were  being  pushed 
rapidly  back  in  all  directions,  Col.  Brown's  brigade  of  New 
ton's  division  again  distinguished  itself  as  at  Marye's  Heights 
earlier  in  the  day,  and  in  an  opportune  moment  smote  the 
elated  foe  with  a  full  shower  of  missiles,  impinging  the  entire 
mass  to  their  destruction.  Back  to  the  forest  from  which 
they  had  emerged  flew  a  bleeding  remnant  of  these  devoted 
sons  of  the  Confederacy,  not  to  appear  again  that  ni^ht. 
Brown's  brigade  was  formerly  commanded  by  Gen.  Devenfand 
was  composed  of  the  Seventh,  Tenth,  and  Thirty-seventh  Mas 
sachusetts,  the  Second  Rhode  Island  and  Thirty-sixth  New 
York  Volunteers.  The  presence  of  Gen.  Newton  (temporarily 
commanding  the  Sixth  Corps)  and  Gen.  Frank  Wheaton 
(temporarily  commanding  the  Third  division),  inspired  these 
men  on,  and  although  much  worn  down  with  the  part  they 
had  taken  in  the  storming  of  Marye's  Heights,  they  behaved 
with  a  courage  sublime.  Thrice  Col.  Rodgers  commanding 
the  Second  Rhode  Island  seized  the  flag  of  his  regiment,  and 
dashing  forward  led  his  men  on  the  Confederate  position  in 
the  dense  woods  in  his  front,  chastening  the  foe  severely.  The 
hard  fighting  now  ceased  for  the  day,  though  heavy  skirmish 
ing  was  maintained  throughout  the  darkness.  The  slaughter 
in  the  First  division  was  frightful.  The  One  hundred  and 
twenty-first  New  York  had  lost  273  of  its  members  alone. 
Thus  ended  the  battle  of  Salem  Heights,  or  Church,  as  it  is 
sometimes  called,  and  a  day  which  had  opened  with  every  pros- 
spect  of  glory  and  success  to  our  arms  had  now  darkened  into  a 

Sixty-second  New  York  were  necessarily  left  on  the  south  side  of  the  main 
road,  where  they  performed  gallant  service,  under  the  officer  in  charge  of 
that  part  of  the  line."  *  *  *     (Official  Report  of  Brigadier-General  Frank 
Wheaton). 
6 


70 

night  of  gloom  and  disappointment;  the  fruits,  some  said,  of 
another  incompetent  at  the  head  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.* 

Let  us  look  at  the  right  (Hooker's  wing)  for  a  moment :  of 
its  operations,  we  knew  but  little;  the  "fly"  order  of  Gen. 
Hooker  had  inspired  a  confidence  of  success  in  that  com 
mander,  so,  therefore,  we  could  only  wait  developments.  We 
could  hear  the  faint  muttering  of  distant  thunder,  which  pro 
claimed  a  war  storm  in  that  direction,  and  at  night  we  saw 
the  lightning  issuing  from  the  angry  clouds.  It  was  evident 
to  us  now  that  our  General  had  miscalculated  his  enemy,  or 
had  failed  to  make  him  "  fly"  so  "  ingloriously"  as  was  his  in 
tention  or  supposition  that  he  was  "  flying,  "f 

The  Sixth  Corps  was  now  in  a  critical  situation.  Howe's 
heroes,  who  but  a  moment  ago  owned  the  Heights,  were  now 
looking  toward  those  dominant  hills,  hot  of  disposition,  its 
lines  of  battle  facing  Fredericksburg  and  our  rear.  The  First 
and  Third  divisions  and  Light  Division  were  facing  Chancel- 
lorsville.  There  was  some  two  miles  distance  between  the  lines 
of  battle,  and  their  opposite  directions  was  at  once  indicative  of 
our  precariousness.  Thrice  during  this  night  of  biting  anxiety 
and  woe  did  our  weary  commander,  General  Sedgwick,  tele 
graph  his  situation  to  Hooker  (by  way  of  Banks'  Ford,  on  the 
Happahannock,  a  few  miles  above  Fredericksburg,  and  our  only 
line  of  communication  now  open).  Sedgwick  asked  for  help 
in  case  the  enemy  renewed  the  battle,  and  informed  his  chief 
that  he  had  been  checked — severely  handled — and  also  in 
formed  him  of  the  constant  arrival  of  reinforcements  from  his 
(Hooker's)  front.  To  these  despatches  he  could  get  no  reply. 
At  length,  on  the  morning  of  the  4th  at  8  o'clock,  Sedgwick 
received  the  following  from  the  commanding  General. 

*  This  immolation  on  the  part  of  Sedgwick  no  doubt  saved  Hooker's 
army  from  destruction,  for  whilst  in  the  height  of  his  success  Lee  had  re 
ceived  information  of  the  disaster  to  his  right,  the  loss  of  Marye's  Heights, 
which  caused  him  to  turn  his  attention  in  that  direction,  suddenly  relieving 
Hooker  of  the  pressure  in  his  front,  thereby  giving  him  an  opportunity  to 
take  up  a  new  and  strong  defensive  position. 

t  On  the  2d,  at  ten  minutes  past  4  P.  M.,  Hooker  telegraphed  to  Gen. 
Sedgwick,  as  follows  :  "  We  know  that  the  enemy  is  flying,  trying  to  save 
his  trains  ;  two  of  Sickles'  division  are  among  them." 


71 

"You  are  too  far  away  for  me  to  direct.  Look  to  the 
safety  of  your  corps.  Fall  back  on  Fredericksburg,  or  cross 
the  river  at  Banks'  Ford,  as  you  deem  best." 

The  Union  line  of  battle  at  Chancellorsville  ran  east  and 
west,  ,and  was   in   length  some  five   miles   or  more.     Gen. 
Howard,  with  the   Eleventh   Corps,  was  on  the   right,  and 
Gen.  Meade,  with  the  Fifth  Corps,  and  one  division  of  the 
Second  Corps,  formed  the  left  of  the  line.     Slocum,  with  his 
own  corps — t^e  Twelfth — and  one  division  of  Sickles'  corps 
(Third),  occupied  the  centre  of  the  line.     A  frail  defence  of 
fence  rails  and  earth  was  thrown  up  along  the  edge  of  the 
Orange  Court  House  Plank  Road,  which  leads  out  from  Fred 
ericksburg  (except  where  he  had  found  it  necessary  to  digress), 
and  which  was  found  the  more  convenient  ground  for  manoeu 
vring,  as  thereabouts  cropped  out  the  wilderness,  a  strange 
locality,  entirely  uninhabited  save  by  wild  game  and  danger 
ous  reptiles.     A  stronge  reserve  was  formed   of  the  other 
divisions  of  Hooker's  army;   and   Gen.   Hooker  made  his 
headquarters  at  the  Chancellor  House,  a  large  brick  mansion 
standing  at  the  intersection  of  the  road  above  mentioned,  and 
another  road  leading  to  United  States  Ford,  this  single  house 
giving  a  name  to  the  place.     There  was  about  fifteen  miles 
distance  between  the  left  wing  of  our  army  here,  and  the  right 
of  Gen.   Sedgwick's  line  below  Fredericksburg.      Hooker's 
easy   success   in   placing  his  army   in  this  position   by  the 
2d,  had   led  him   to  believe   that   Lee  would   either  attack 
him  upon  his  front — which  he  had  strongly  prepared  for  and 
made  more  hopeless  for  the  Confederates'  success,  by  causing 
the  felling  of  timber  and  the  placing  of  other  obstructions — or 
beat  a  hasty  retreat  towards  Richmond,  an  event  which  he 
had  instructed  Sedgwick  to  be  prepared  for.     He,  therefore, 
instead   of  assuming   the   offensive,  awaited    battle   on   his 
"  own  ground,"  where  certain  destruction  awaited,  not  the 
enemy,  but,  as  was  afterwards  shown,  his  own  devoted  army ; 
whilst  thus  certain  of  his  front,  Hooker  was  not  altogether 
unmindful  of  his  right  flank,  which  he  early  inspected,  and 
although  finding  it  to  be  in  a  rather  defenceless  state,  expressed 
a  sort  of  sciolous  satisfaction.     However,  Gens.  Slocum  and 


72 

Howard  had  their  attention  called  to  this,  through  a  circular 
order  from  Hooker  at  half  past  nine  in  the  morning  of  the  2d; 
but  as  it  appears  from  the  testimony  (see  Reports  on  the 
Conduct  of  the  War,  vol.  i.  p.  178),  of  Gen.  Devens — who  com 
manded  the  First  division  of  the  Eleventh  Corps,  and  who  so 
long  and  ably  commanded  a  brigade  in  the  Third  division 
(Sixth  Corps) — no  change  was  made  in  the  disposition  of  the 
troops  under  his  command,  although  his  right  flank  "  rested 
on  no  obstacle,  and  was  what  is  technically  termed  "  in  air." 
On  Friday  evening,  the  1st,  Lee  determined  upon  a  bold  stroke 
for  a  Confederate  victory  ;  he  decided  to  turn  his  antagonist's 
right  flank,  crush  his  rear,  and  place  a  strong  force  between 
Hooker  and  the  fords  of  the  Rapid  Anna.  For  this  impor 
tant  work,  Lee  chose  his  chief  executor,  "Stonewall"  Jackson, 
who,  with  about  25,000  veterans,  officered  by  men  who  knew 
every  path  of  the  wilderness,  began  the  march  on  Saturday 
morning  (May  2d),  moving  diagonally  across  the  Union  front, 
taking  the  narrow  by-paths  through  the  forest  by  which  he 
was  to  a  degree  unobserved.*  He  had  so  confused  our  Gene 
rals  as  to  lead  some  to  suspect  the  Confederate  army  to  be 
retreating.  This  movement  was  observed  from  the  First 
division  (Eleventh  Corps)  headquarters  with  some  interest 
(see  Reports  on  the  Conduct  of  the  War,  vol.  i.  p.  178). 
About  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  the  second,  a  rattling 
musketry  fire  was  heard  on  the  extreme  right.  Gen.  Hooker 
at  once  despatched  some  of  his  aides-de-camp  to  ascertain  the 
particulars ;  but  before  they  could  reach  that  point,  the  whole 
of  the  troops  on  the  right  (Deven's  division)  were  met  flee 
ing  the  field,  panic  stricken,  along  the  line  of  defence  held  by 
the  Eleventh  Corps,  and  sweeping  that  corps  before  it  as  it 
went;  soon  after  this  the  Confederates  appeared  in  sight, 
almost  wild  with  their  success.  This  furious  onset  on  the 


*  A  Confederate  officer  with  whom  the  writer  conversed  whilst  on  his  way 
to  Richmond,  said  that,  in  many  instances,  Jackson's  men,  in  order  to  ac 
complish  this  movement,  crawled  long  distances  through  the  dense  forest 
undergrowths  upon  their  hands  and  knees,  and  occasionally  were  compelled 
to  drag  their  bodies  through  very  limited  spaces  in  the  narrow  bushy  confine 
with  which  the  wilderness  abounds. 


73 

right  and  rear  of  Deven  had  carried  terror  with  it  to  such 
an  extent  that  Hooker,  fearful  the  fugitives  would  stampede 
his  whole  army,  directed  what  cavalry  he  had  with  him, 
assisted  by  his  staff,  to  charge  the  frightened  and  fleeing 
legions  with  sabre  in  hand.  Alas,  no  human  power  could 
arrest  their  flight.  At  this  moment  Hooker  ordered  Berry's 
division  of  the  Third  Corps  and  one  brigade  of  the  Second 
Corps  troops,  which  were  in  reserve,  to  move  at  the  "  double 
quick,"  with  instructions  to  cover  the  flight  of  the  Eleventh 
Corps,  and,  if  possible,  to  seize  and  hold,  at  all  hazards,  the 
high  ground  which  had  been  abandoned  by  that  corps.  Di 
rections  were  also  given  for  the  two  divisions  of  the  Third 
Corps,  at  this  time  far  in  advance  of  the  line  which  had  been 
occupied  by  the  Eleventh  Corps,  to  attack  the  enemy  on  his 
flank,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  check  his  further  advance.  The 
position  of  Gen.  Sickles  was  extremely  critical,  as  the  enemy 
had  it  in  his  power  to  cut  oft'  his  communication  with  the 
main  army.  While  these  operations  were  progressing  on  the 
right,  a  front  attack  was  made  by  Lee  on  the  Second  and 
Twelfth  Corps,  which  was  handsomely  repulsed.  Gen.  Berry, 
after  going  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile,  found  the  enemy 
occupying  the  elevated  position  he  sought  to  obtain,  so 
was  compelled  to  establish  his  line  in  a  vale  on  the  Chancel- 
lorsville  side  of  that  elevation.  Night  found  Hooker's  army 
in  a  contracted  and  precarious  situation,  out  of  which  he  at 
once  made  preparations  to  extricate  it.  In  the  Confederate 
lines  all  was  not  joy,  for  "  Stonewall"  Jackson  lay  bleeding  to 
death.  Amidst  the  rebels'  rejoicing  a  gloom  had  suddenly 
spread  itself.  Jackson,  whilst  reconnoitring  in  the  dusk  of 
the  evening,  had  gone  too  far  beyond  his  lines,  and  being  mis 
taken  with  his  staff  for  a  body  of  "  Yankee  Cavalry,"  was  fired 
on  by  his  own  men,  and  mortally  wounded.  At  an  early 
hour,  on  the  morning  of  the  3d,  Lee  renewed  the  attack  upon 
Hooker's  front.  Hard  pressed,  at  11  o'clock  Hooker  changed 
his  front,  fell  back  to  a  new  line,  where  he  rested  his  army, 
expecting  a  union  of  forces  with  Sedgwick.  Thus,  it  was  an 
easy  matter  on  the  afternoon  of  the  3d  of  May  for  the  Con 
federate  Chief  to  play  the  dicer,  with  an  extra  throw  for  the 


74 

Sixth  Corps.     The  night  of  May  3d  was  passed  in  suspicion 
and  gloom.* 

Sedgwick's  shattered  regiments  were  put  in  order,  and  a 
strong  line  of  pickets  established  along  the  Sixth  Corps  front. 
The  wounded  were  cared  for  as  best  could  be ;  those  able  to 
hobble  along  made  their  way  to  Fredericksburg,  where  but 
little  available  room  awaited  the  vast  number  of  suffering, 
and  where  the  enemy  soon  swarmed,  re-occupying  the  heights 
and  vicinity,  cutting  Sedgwickoff  in  that  direction.  Prepara 
tions  were  made  during  the  night  of  the  3d  to  secure  the  flanks 
and  keep  our  communications  open  with  Banks'  Ford,  some 
miles  in  the  rear.  This  involved  so  heavy  an  expenditure 
of  troops  as  to  render  the  situation  a  dangerous  one  for  long 
occupation,  and  was  assumed  only  for  immediate  defence.  The 
Confederates  were  no\v  working  around  Sedgwick's  position 
with  menacing  adroitness,  and  felt  our  lines  in  several  places. f 


*  A  curious  and  touching  incident  in  the  death  of  one  of  the  writer's  regi 
ment  is  the  following :  In  getting  over  a  post  and  rail  fence,  in  our  front, 
during  the  heat  of  the  battle,  one  of  our  party  (a  brave  young  fellow)  was 
shot  dead  just  as  he  had  reached  the  topmost  rail ;  there  he  fell,  and  remained 
equipoised  in  death,  to  the  surprise  and  horror  of  all  around  ;  after  we  had 
fallen  back,  and  during  the  night  a  gentle  breeze  rocked  the  corpse  to  and 
fro  in  its  aerial  position,  the  moon  shed  a  halo  about  the  head  and  face  of 
this  "somebody's  darling,"  and  a  rebel  picket  made  the  scene  more  hideous 
by  the  flash  of  his  rifle,  which  seemed  to  come  from  beneath  the  dead  soldier. 

f  Fredericksburg  and  Marye's  Heights  were  re-occupied  by  heavy  rein 
forcements,  and  the  Washington  Battery — abandoned  by  us  as  an  incum- 
brance — was  carried  to  its  former  position.  Hemmed  in  upon  all  sides  by 
land,  the  river  lying  in  our  rear,  as  the  only  means  of  escape,  our  line  of  battle 
represented  three  sides  of  a  hollow  square,  and  into  this  the  enemy  dropped 
his  iron  compliments  to  us  occasionally.  Gen.  M.  T.  McMahon,  who  was  Gen. 
Sedgwick's  Chief  of  Staff  (and  in  whose  arms  the  gallant  old  soldier  died 
when  shot  at  Spottsylvania  Court  House,  Va.),  relates  the  following  anecdote, 
which  is  vividly  illustrative  of  a  general  sort  of  apprehensiveness  of  danger 
to  the  Sixth  Corps' existence  at  that  time.  Gen.  McMahon  says,  "  On  that 
morning  a  staff  officer  of  Gen.  Sedgwick,  whose  personal  relations  enabled 
him  to  speak  freely,  and  whose  youth,  no  doubt,  inspired  him  with  a  senti 
ment  of  enthusiasm,  remarked  to  the  General  that  the  situation  seemed 
gloomy.  The  General  quietly  assented,  with  that  pleasant  merry  twinkle  in 
his  eye  which  all  who  knew  him  will  remember.  Our  young  friend  then 
remarked :  "  General,  it  looks  as  if  the  Sixth  Corps  was  going  to  close  its 


75 

Before  the  day  closed  (4th),  a  desperate  encounter  took  place 
between  Howe's  division,  in  which  the  Confederates  were 
badly  cut  up  by  the  gallant  Vermonters,  who  did  the 
most  of  the  fighting.  On  Tuesday  morning,  the  5th,  at  2 
o'clock,  Gen.  Sedgwick  withdrew  his  command  across  the 
Rappahannock,  at  Banks'  Ford,  and  occupied  the  high  ground 
along  the  river.  Having  re-crossed  in  safety,  the  bridges  were 
taken  up  with  slight  loss.  This  was  accomplished  with  the 
aid  of  a  detail  of  the  Eighth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry  who,  after 
rendering  valuable  service  to  Gen.  Sedgwick,  swam  the  river 
with  their  horses.  The  contraries  arising  out  of  the  de 
spatches  between  Hooker  and  Sedgwick  somewhat  annoyed  the 
latter,  when  receiving  an  order  to  hold  his  position  immedi 
ately  after  he  had  withdrawn,  and  at  a  moment,  too,  when 
the  Confederates  were  making  weighty  endeavors  to  crush  his 
flanks.  With  this  movement,  Hooker's  nine  days'  campaign 
was  brought  to  an  unhappy  close.*  It  is  true,  we  punished 

career  to-day."  "  It  has  somewhat  that  appearance,"  said  the  General. 
"  Then,"  said  our  young  officer,  with  much  honest  intensity,  "  if  the  Sixth 
Corps  goes  out  of  existence  to-day,  I  hope  it  will  be  with  a  blaze  of  glory 
that  will  light  the  history  of  this  war  for  all  time."  The  General  quietly 
smiled,  and  bending  forward,  said  :  "  I  will  tell  you  a  secret;  there  will  be 
no  surrendering." 

*  Gen.  Hooker,  and  his  favorites,  soon  after  this,  sought  to  shove  the 
blame  for  his  (Hookers)  failure  upon  Gen.  Sedgwick.  Nothing  could  be 
more  unfair,  or  supremely  wicked ;  but  Gen.  McMahon,  before  mentioned, 
has  so  eloquently  replied  to  that  accusation  (in  a  recent  address  before  the 
"  Vermont  Officers'  Re-union  Society"),  that  we  will  content  ourselves  by 
quoting  that  gentleman's  language  upon  that  occasion  as  a  good  enough  de 
fence  of  our  gallant  old  commander.  Relative  to  Sedgwick's  strong  and  ear 
nest  appeal,  "  Can  you  help  me,  if  lam  strongly  attacked  ?"  Gen.  McMahon 
says,  "There  was  no  reply.  In  the  direction  of  Chancellorsville  there  was 
the  silence  of  death.  Not  an  answering  gun  replied  to  the  crash  of  our 
artillery,  which  echoed  from  every  battery.  The  enemy  on  our  front,  in  fact, 
I  may  say,  on  our  three  fronts,  replied.  The  commanders  of  the  other  corps, 
who  stood  inactive  near  Chancellorsville,  heard  the  incessant  roar  of  the 
artillery  near  Salem  Chapel.  They  chafed  almost  to  mutiny  because,  while 
this  gallant  little  band,  less  than  one-fifth  of  the  army,  was  contending 
against  these  desperate  odds,  six  corps  stood  idle  within  the  sound  of  their 
guns."  Gen.  McMahon  continues:  "Sedgwick  and  Hooker  have  passed 
away,  and  have  undergone  that  final  judgment  from  which  there  is  no  ap- 


76 

the  enemy  severely,  but  we  had  paid  dearly  the  price  from 
our  best  blood.  The  loss  in  the  Sixth  Corps  was  nearly  one- 
third  the  entire  casualties  of  the  army  ;  5500  killed,  wounded, 
and  missing,  the  loss  in  the  different  corps  being  as  follows : 
First  Corps,  292 ;  Second  Corps,  2025  ;  Third  Corps,  4039 ; 
Fifth  Corps,  699  ;  Sixth  Corps,  5500  ;  Eleventh  Corps,  2808  ; 


peal.  I  am  not  here  to  say  one  word  in  disparagement  of  the  dead,  much 
less  of  a  gallant  soldier  like  Gen.  Joseph  Hooker,  but  I  do  stand  here  to 
vindicate  the  memory  of  one  of  the  purest  men,  one  of  the  truest  patriots, 
one  of  the  best  and  bravest,  aye,  and  grandest  soldiers  that  ever  honored 
any  land  by  a  life  of  honorable  service,  and  a  glorious  death  upon  the  field 
of  battle.  It  has  been  stated  before  a  committee  of  the  National  Congress, 
whose  sole  business  seemed  to  be  during  the  several  years  of  their  continu 
ance,  to  dishonor  the  names  of  the  best  and  truest  of  our  soldiers,  that  Sedg 
wick's  failure  to  obey  the  orders  of  Hooker,  was  one  of  the  chief  causes  of 
the  failure  of  the  Chancellorsville  campaign.  This  statement  was  principally 
made  by  a  man  who  still  lives,  and  whom,  therefore,  I  am  at  full  liberty  to 
answer.  Daniel  Butterfield,  Major-General,  Chief  ot  Staff  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  absent  from  every  position  of  danger  during  all  these  operations, 
controlling  at  the  old  headquarters  at  Falmouth,  Prof.  Lowe,  the  chief  of  bal 
loons,  and  doing  a  large  correspondence,  in  Napoleonic  style,  by  telegraph  and 
stenographer,  has  stated  before  this  Committee  that  Gen.  Sedgwick's  delay 
was  the  primal  cause  of  the  failure.  Gen.  Sedgwick's  order  to  advance  to 
Chancellorsville,  and  be  there  at  daylight,  included  another  and  more  im 
portant  commission.  He  was  directed  to  make  this  march — impossible  in 
itself  in  the  time  allowed — impossible,  if  the  march  was  unresisted.  He  was 
ordered  to  capture  Fredericksburg  and  everything  in  it,  which  he  did. 
He  was  ordered  to  capture  Marye's  Heights,  which  he  did  magnifi 
cently.  He  was  ordered  to  advance  upon  the  plank  road,  which  he  did.  He 
was  also  ordered  to  destroy  any  force  that  might  intervene  between  him  and 
the  General  commanding.  This  he  gallantly  attempted,  and  did  as  much  in 
the  line  of  destruction  as  it  was  possible  to  do  with  the  force  at  his  com 
mand.  The  same  despatch  which  ordered  him  to  destroy  any  intervening 
force  informed  him  that  the  army  commanded  by  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee  was 
between  him  and  the  position  he  was  ordered  to  occupy  at  daylight.  Now, 
an  order  to  destroy  Gen.  Lee  and  his  army  was  very  easy  to  issue  ;  its  execu 
tion,  as  some  of  you  gentlemen  will  perhaps  remember,  was  attended  with 
considerable  difficulty  ;  and  when  it  is  considered  that  during  the  thirty-six 
hours  that  Sedgwick  was  struggling  to  execute  this  part  of  the  order,  the 
main  body  of  our  army,  consisting  of  six  corps,  never  fired  a  shot,  although 
within  sound  of  Sedgwick's  guns.  I  submit  that  any  man  who  says  that  the 
failure  could,  in  any  degree  whatever,  be  attributed  to  Sedgwick,  insults 
every  soldier  of  his  command,  and  dishonors  the  memory  of  the  dead." 


77 

Twelfth  Corps,  2883  ;  Engineer  Corps,  3 ;  Signal  Corps,  2 ; 
Cavalry,  145 ;  total,  18,196.  Hooker  lost  14  pieces  of  artil 
lery,  and  about  20,000  small  arms.  The  Confederate's  loss 
was  estimated,  upon  good  authority,  to  have  been  about 
18,000  in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners. 

In  the  First  division  our  loss  was  almost  irreparable.  The 
great,  good,  and  brave  among  the  rank  and  file  had  fallen, 
and  were,  amidst  the  confusion  which  followed  each  event, 
left  as  they  dropped  down  to  be  cared  for  by  a  merciless 
foe.  The  loss  in  the  First  New  Jersey  regiment  was  the 
gallant  Col.  Mark  W.  Collett,  struck  down  in  the  heat  of  the 
battle,  killed,  and  Captains  William  H.  Tan  turn  and  Smith  G. 
Blythe,  and  Lieut.  Charles  Seagraves  and  George  B.  Wight, 
wounded ;  18  enlisted  men  were  killed  or  died  from  wounds, 
and  71  were  wounded,  and  16  missing,  making  a  total  of  110. 
In  the  Second  Regiment  Col.  Buck  received  a  painful  injury 
by  being  thrown  down  with  his  horse,  and  Adjutant  Joseph 
B.  Wilde  was  wounded.  Capt,  William  Bergen  was  mor 
tally  wounded,  and  died  on  the  4th.  Captains  Henry  P. 
Cook  (Capt.  Cook  received  a  painful  wound  in  the  neck 
whilst  acting  aide-de-camp  to  Col.  Brown,  commanding  the 
First  brigade),  Herman  Lipfert,  Henry  H.  Callan,  and  Lieut. 
John  T.  Whitehead  were  wrounded ;  10  men  were  killed 
or  died  from  wounds  soon  after;  36  were  wounded,  and  3 
missing,  a  total  of  56.  In  the  Third  regiment,  Col.  Henry 
W.  Brown  was  severely  wounded  whilst  in  command  of  the 
brigade,  in  the  fiercest  of  the  conflict.  Capt.  Archibald  S. 
Taylor  was  killed,  and  Captain  John  Frantz  wounded.  22  en 
listed  men  were  killed  or  mortally  wounded,  and  69  received 
wounds  of  more  or  less  severity  ;  4  were  missing,  making  a 
total  of  98.  In  the  Fifteenth  regiment  Captain  Ira  J.  Linds- 
ley  fell  at  the  head  of  his  company,  and  Lieutenant  John  Fow 
ler  was  instantly  killed,  and  Capt.  Thomas  P.  Stout  wounded. 
The  mortality  among  the  enlisted  men  was  appalling ;  39 
were  killed  or  died  shortly  after,  from  the  effects  of  their 
wounds,  and  111  were  wounded,  and  4  were  missing,  making 
a  total  of  157.  The  Twenty-third  regiment  suffered  severely 
in  commissioned  officers,  and  was  also  particularly  unfortu- 


78 

nate  in  wounds.  Lieuts.  Charles  Sibley,  James  S.  Budd, 
Sidney  H.  McCarter,  were  killed,  and  Capts.  Paul  R.  Ham- 
brick,  Heading  Kewbold,  and  Samuel  B.  Smith,  and 
Lieuts.  George  W.  Severs,  George  W.  Arbuckle,  Richard  J. 
Wilson,  and  Ebenezer  Montgomery  were  wounded ;  23  enlisted 
men  were  killed,  57  wounded,  and  23  missing,  making  a  total 
loss  of  114 ;  the  total  loss  in  the  brigade  being  535,  including 
8  commissioned  officers  killed  and  20  wounded.  The  Second 
brigade  (Bartlett's)  was  also  greatly  cut  up.  The  Sixteenth 
New  York  occupied  the  right  of  the  brigade  line,  and  was 
exposed  to  a  fearful  fire.  Lieut.  Col.  Frank  Palmer  was 
among  the  first  to  fall  in  this  regiment — severely  wounded. 
Among  the  commissioned  officers  wounded  were  Capts. 
William  L.  Best,  William  W.  Wood,  and  Lieuts.  William  E, 
Hesselgrave,  Andrew  C.  Bayne,  and  William  H.  Walling. 
20  enlisted  men  were  killed,  82  wounded,  and  49  missing  ;  a 
total  of  156. 

The  Twenty-seventh  New  York  lost  thirty-five  men,  as  fol 
lows:  three  killed,  twelve  wounded,  among  whom  was  Lieut. 
John  C.  Fairchilds,  twenty  missing — the  greater  portion  of 
whom  were  ascertained  to  have  been  wounded.  The  One 
hundred  and  twenty-first  New  York,  Col.  Upton,  met  with 
the  greatest  slaughter — two  hundred  and  seventy-five  of  its 
heroes  were  absent  at  roll-call  at  the  close  of  the  campaign. 
The  regiment  had  fought  with  splendid  courage,  and  won  the 
plaudits  of  its  companions  throughout  the  entire  strife;  among 
its  dead  were  Captains  Thomas  S.  Arnold,  who  died  on  the 
18th,  Nelson  0.  Wendell,  and  Lieutenants  U.  F.  Doubleday 
and  Frederick  E.  Ford — the  latter  having  held  his  commis 
sion  scarcely  one  month.  Captain  Andrew  E.  Mather,  Lieuten 
ants  Delevan  Bates,  Jonathan  Burrell,  and  Henry  Upton  were 
wounded,  and  Assistant  Surgeon  Daniel  M.  Holt  was  among 
the  missing.  Forty  enlisted  men  were  killed,  one  hundred 
and  thirty-six  wounded,  and  ninety  were  missing,  of  whom 
many  were  afterwards  ascertained  to  have  been  wounded. 

The  entire  loss  during  the  campaign,  in  the  Fifth  Maine, 
was  ninety-seven  men,  ten  of  whom  were  commissioned  officers. 
Lieut.  Cyrus  W.  Brann  was  killed,  and  Lieutenants  Smith 


79 

G.  Bailey,  and  W.  F.  Brown  mortally  wounded.  Adjutant 
George  W.  Bicknell,  Captains  E.  M.  Robinson,  Albert  L. 
Bearing,  and  Lieutenants  0.  B.  Stevens  and  John  H.  Stevens 
wounded.  Lieutenants  William  E.  Stevens  and  Frank  G. 
Patterson  were  taken  prisoners.  Nine  enlisted  men  were 
killed,  fifty-five  wounded,  and  twenty-three  were  missing;  of 
the  latter,  six  were  afterward  ascertained  to  have  been  killed. 

The  Ninety-sixth  Pennsylvania  lost  Lieut,  Alexander  Alli 
son,  mortally  wounded  (died  on  the  5th),  and  Lieutenants 
John  Yon  Hallen  and  John  S.  Oberrender.  Fifty-five  enlisted 
men  were  wounded,  fifteen  enlisted  men  were  killed,  and 
twenty  were  captured — a  total  of  ninety-three,  which  includes 
the  casualties  at  the  Bowling  Green  Road.  The  total  loss  in 
this  brigade  was  six  hundred  and  fifty-six,  including  eight 
commissioned  officers  killed  and  nineteen  wounded  and  cap 
tured- — exactly  the  number  of  officers  lost  in  the  First  brigade. 
Nearly  the  entire  loss  in  the  Third  brigade  fell  upon  two  regi 
ments  (the  Ninety-fifth  and  One  hundred  and  nineteenth  Penn 
sylvania). 

The  Ninety-fifth  was  exceedingly  unfortunate.  Thirteen 
commissioned  officers  fell  beneath  the  scythe  of  destruction, 
and  nearly  two  hundred  men  were  snatched  from  its  ranks,  to 
be  accounted  for  in  the  terrible  degrees  known  only  to  warfare. 
The  killed  were  Col.  Gustavus  W.  Town,  Lieut.-Col.  Elisha 
Hall,  Adjutant  Eugene  D.  Dunton,  Captain  Thomas  D.  G. 
Chapman,  and  Lieut.  David  Hailer.  Major  Thomas  J.  Town, 
Captain  George  Weest,  Lieutenants  Frank  Stewart,  Samuel 
H.  Town,  II.  Oscar  Roberts,  William  J.  Gelston,  Samuel  H. 
Jones,  and  Samuel  Topham  were  wounded.  Thirty-one  en 
listed  men  were  killed,  and  seven  died  soon  after  from  their 
wounds ;  one  hundred  and  twelve  were  wounded  and  thirty- 
seven  taken  prisoners — a  total  of  two  hundred. 

Out  of  four  hundred  and  thirty-two  men  present  for  duty  in 
the  One  hundred  and  nineteenth  Pennsylvania,  one  hundred 
and  fifty-three  were  killed,  wounded,  or  missing;  Captain 
Peter  Rogers  being  among  the  former,  and  Captains  Charles 
P.  Warner,  Andrew  T.  Goodman,  and  Lieut,  John  M.  Cook 


80 

among  the  wounded.  Eleven  enlisted  men  were  killed,  one 
hundred  and  nine  wounded,  and  twenty-nine  missing. 

The  casualties  in  the  Forty-ninth  Pennsylvania  were  slight, 
as  was  the  fortune  of  our  other  two  regiments — the  Eighteenth 
and  Thirty-second  New  York.  Thirty-six  were  reported 
wounded  and  missing  in  the  latter  regiment.  In  the  former, 
the  wounding  of  Col.  William  H.  Irwin  was  greatly  deplored, 
as  it  occurred  just  at  the  commencement  of  our  operations. 
Captain  William  B.  Freeborn  of  Company  K  was  mortally 
wounded,  lingering  until  August  20th,  when  he  expired. 
Two  enlisted  men  were  killed,  eight  wounded,  and  twenty- 
four  were  missing — a  total  of  thirty-four. 

In  the  Eighteenth  New  York  seven  enlisted  men  were 
wounded,  and  Col.  Myers  had  his  horse  killed  under  him. 
The  entire  loss  in  the  brigade  was  four  hundred  and  thirty- 
three — nearly  one-half  falling  upon  the  Ninety-fifth  Pennsyl 
vania.  Of  this  number,  nineteen  were  commissioned  officers, 
seven  of  whom  were  killed  or  mortally  wounded,  and  twelve 
wounded. 

The  loss  in  the  First  division  is  thus  shown  to  aggregate 
one  thousand,  six  hundred  and  thirty-three  officers  and  men  ; 
to  which  number  Captain  Reed,  aide-de-camp  to  Gen.  Russell, 
unfortunately  belonged,  wounded. 

The  casualties  in  our  Second  division  were  thus  reported  :  the 
Second  brigade  (Vermonters),  Col.  Lewis  A.  Grant  command 
ing,  lost  a  total  of  four  hundred  and  twenty-four  officers  and 
men  during  the  campaign,  including  one  commissioned  officer 
killed  and  eleven  wounded — one  mortally. 

The  Second  Vermont  had  seventeen  enlisted  men  killed  and 
one  hundred  and  fourteen  wounded,  among  whom  were  Cap 
tains  Amasa  S.  Tracy,  Erastus  G.  Ballou,  Horace  F.  Cross- 
man,  and  Lieut.  Francis  A.  Gleason  (the  latter  died  from  his 
wounds  on  the  30th  of  May).  Sergeant  Major  Henry  H. 
Prouty  of  the  regiment  was  also  of  the  number.  In  the  Third 
regiment  Lieut.  Richard  P.  Goodall,  Jr.,  was  wounded.  Four 
enlisted  men  were  killed,  thirty  wounded,  and  thirteen  miss 
ing.  In  the  Fourth  regiment  Lieutenants  Thomas  Ensworth, 
Jr.,  Frank  Hastings,  and  twenty -three  enlisted  men  were 


81 

wounded,  one  killed,  and  seven  missing.  Three  were  killed 
in  the  Fifth  regiment  and  eleven  wounded;  Lieutenants 
Ronald  A.  Kennedy  and  Lyman  F.  Loomis  being  among  the 
latter.  Nine  were  missing. 

In  the  Sixth  regiment  Lieut.-Col.  Oscar  A.  Hale  had  his 
horse  shot  under  him.  Captain  Luther  Ainsworth  was  killed, 
and  Captain  Alonzo  B.  Hutchinson  and  Lieutenant  Porter 
Crane,  Jr.,  were  wounded,  and  four  enlisted  men  were  killed, 
fifty-two  wounded,  and  fifteen  missing.  The  Twenty-sixth 
New  Jersey  lost  one  hundred  and  twenty-three  enlisted  men, 
of  which  number  fifteen  were  killed  or  mortally  wounded, 
sixty-five  wounded,  and  forty-three  missing. 

Third  Brigade,  Gen.  Neill.  The  Twentieth  New  York  had 
nine  men  killed,  forty-six  wounded,  and  ninety  captured. 
Among  the  wounded  were  Captain  Henry  R.  Walter  and 
Lieutenants  Conrad  Wiess  and  Francis  Schmidt.  The  Thirty- 
third  New  York  was  terribly  cut  up  in  the  struggle  for  the 
possession  of  the  Heights  ;  it  had  six  color-bearers  shot  down 
successively,  and  lost  upwards  of  two  hundred  men  during 
the  campaign.  Lieutenant  Charles  D.  Rossiter  was  mortally 
wounded,  and  died  on  the  4th ;  and  Captains  Edward  E.  Root 
and  Chester  H.  Cole,  and  Lieutenants  Bernard  Byrne  and 
Sylvester  Porter  were  wounded. 

There  were  but  two  men  out  of  Captain  Edwin  J.  Tyler's 
company  who  were  not  wounded  or  had  bullets  to  pass 
through  their  clothing.  Captain  Tyler's  coat  was  "  wound 
ed"  in  a  dozen  places  during  the  charge,  but,  strange  as  it 
may  seem,  the  Captain  was  not  hurt. 

The  Seventy-seventh  New  York  also  lost  heavily;  among 
its  cherished  dead  was  a  gifted  young  soldier,  Captain  Luther 
M.  Wheeler,  who  is  spoken  of  by  those  who  knew  him  best, 
as  a  brave  and  efficient  officer  and  an  accomplished  gentleman. 

In  the  Twenty-first  New  Jersey  twenty-one  officers  and  men 
were  killed  and  mortally  wounded,  including  Col.  Gilliam  Van 
Houteri,  who  commanded  the  regiment  during  the  battle.  Cap 
tain  Thomas  C.  Kendall  was  severely  wounded,  and  with  most 
of  the  wounded  of  the  Twenty-first,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  Captains  John  Shaffle  and  James  W.  Van  Keuren, 


82 

and  Lieutenants  Michael  Shaffle  and  William  H.  Debevoise 
were  alike  unfortunate.  Captain  Shaffle  lost  his  left  arm,  and 
Captain  Kendall  was  wounded  in  the  shoulder  and  leg ;  the 
latter  limb  was  amputated  by  the  surgeon  of  the  Fifty-fourth 
North  Carolina  rebel  regiment ;  and  Captain  Kendall  was  the 
first  one  of  our  prisoners  paroled  and  sent  through  the  lines. 

In  the  Seventh  Maine,  eighteen  men  were  killed  or  mortally 
wounded,  and  seventy  were  otherwise  wounded.  First  Lieut. 
Joseph  Gr.  Butler,  commanding  Company  "D,"  was  killed 
while  gallantly  leading  his  men  on  the  fortifications,  having 
struggled  to  this  point  through  a  blaze  of  fire  from  the  Con 
federate  works  across  a  plain,  and  through  a  deep  morass,  in 
which  many  of  the  men  sank  to  their  hips.  In  the  desperate 
encounter  which  ensued  in  the  evening  of  the  fourth,  near 
Banks'  Ford,  Lieut.  Colonel  Selden  Connor,  commanding  the 
regiment,  and  Lieut.  Andrew  M.  Benson  were  wounded,  and 
Lieut.  Lemuel  C.  Small  was  taken  prisoner.  The  total 
lo&s  was  ninety-two.  The  loss  in  the  Forty-ninth  New  York 
was  in  proportion  to  that  of  the  brigade,  but  no  commis 
sioned  officers  were  killed.  Gen.  Neill  reported  the  casualties 
in  his  brigade  at  one  thousand  on  the  evening  of  the  4th  of 
May.  This  would  make  a  loss,  with  that  of  the  Vermont 
brigade,  of  one  thousand  four  hundred  and  twenty-four. 

The  loss  in  the  Third  division  (Newton's)  was  thus  re 
ported  : — 

First  brigade,  Col.  Alexander  Shaler  commanding,  Sixty- 
fifth  New  York,  Major  Henry  J.  Healey,  wounded ;  two 
enlisted  men  killed,  fourteen  wounded,  and  twenty-three 
missing.  A  total  of  thirty-eight. 

Sixty-seventh  New  York. 

The  Twenty-third  Pennsylvania  lost  a  total  of  seventy-one 
enlisted  men  killed  and  wounded,  and  two  captured.  In  the 
Eighty-second  Pennsylvania,  Major  Isaac  C.  Bassett,  Capts. 
Francis  B.  Lefferts,  John  H.  Delap,  and  Lieut.  John  T. 
Hawkins  were  wounded.  Capt.  Delap  died  from  his  injuries 
on  the  9th  of  May.  One  hundred  and  twenty-second  New 
York,  Captain  Morris  H.  Church,  and  six  enlisted  men,  were 


83 

wounded.  The  total  loss  in  the  brigade  was  one  hundred  and 
eighty. 

Second  brigade,  formerly  the  Third,  Col.  Wm.  II.  Brown 
commanding.  The  Second  Rhode  Island  was  roughly  handled 
in  helping  to  press  back  the  foe  in  the  evening  of  the  third. 
Two  brave  soldiers,  First  Sergeants  Nichols  and  Green,  "  B" 
and  "  I"  companies,  were  the  first  to  fall.  Captain  Charles 
W.  Turner  was  severely  wounded,  whilst  inciting  his  men  to 
deeds  of  valor,  and  Lieut.  Bates  received  a  painful  wound 
in  the  thigh.  Seven  enlisted  men  were  killed,  sixty-six 
wounded,  and  eight  were  missing ;  a  total  of  eighty-one. 
"  Under  a  tree,  directly  in  the  rear  of  the  regiment,  the  dead 
were  buried."  (Rhode  Island  in  the  Rebellion,  p.  236.) 

The  Thirty-sixth  New  York,  like  the  Ninety-fifth  Pennsyl 
vania,  had  every  field  officer  shot.  Col.  William  II.  Brown 
suffered  the  amputation  of  his  leg.  Lieut-Colonel  James 
Walsh  was  wounded,  and  Major  Elihu  J.  Faxon  killed. 
Adjutant  Robert  H.  Jones  and  Captain  George  Y.  S.  Robin 
son  were  wounded,  and  sixty-seven  enlisted  men  killed, 
wounded,  and  captured  ;  a  total  of  seventy-two. 

The  Seventh  Massachusetts  began  the  campaign  with  a 
little  more  than  five  hundred  officers  and  men  ;  it  was  reduced 
about  one  quarter  by  its  loss  in  the  several  engagements.  Col. 
Thomas  D.  Johns,  who  led  the  storming  column  on  the  right, 
was  severely  wounded,  and  Captain  Prentiss  M.  Whiting  and 
Lieuts.  Wright  Bisbee  and  Albert  A.  Tillson  were  killed. 
Lieut-Col.  Franklin  P.  Harlow,  Adjutant  Edward  N.  Dean, 
and  Captains  Hiram  A.  Oakman,  Zeba  F.  Bliss,  and  Lieuts. 
James  E.  Seaver,  John  C.  Bosworth,  and  one  hundred  and 
five  enlisted  men  were  wounded ;  of  the  latter,  eight  died  of 
their  wounds,  and  two  enlisted  men  were  killed,  making  a 
total  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven. 

The  Tenth  Massachusetts  lost  sixteen  men  killed  and 
wounded  on  the  Heights.  In  the  subsequent  operations, 
Captain  Flavel  Shurtleff  and  Lieut.  Terry  S.  Noble  were 
wounded.  Thirteen  men  were  killed  or  died  from  wounds, 
fifty-seven  wounded,  and  ten  missing,  aggregating  to  ninety- 


84 

eight.  The  Thirty-seventh  Massachusetts  had  one  enlisted 
man  killed,  ten  wounded,  and  twelve  missing ;  a  total  of 
twenty-three.  The  total  casualties  in  the  brigade  were  four 
hundred  and  eleven. 

Third  brigade,  Wheaton's,  Col.  John  F.  Ballier  commanding 
(temporarily),  Sixty-second  New  York,  Lieut.-Colonel  Theo 
dore  B.  Hamilton,  Captain  William  Ackerman,  and  Lieuts. 
William  T.  Brady  and  Lewis  Samuels,  were  wounded ;  and 
Lieuts.  William  F.  Porter,  Edward  II.  Morris,  and  Louis  J. 
Stuart,  were  missing ;  thirteen  enlisted  men  were  killed, 
ninety-three  wounded  and  missing;  a  total  of  one  hundred 
and  thirteen. 

Ninety-third  Pennsylvania.  Twelve  of  this  regiment  were 
killed,  seventy-three  wounded,  and  thirty-four  were  reported 
missing.  Among  the  former  were  Lieuts.  Washington  Brua 
and  William  D.  Boltz.  Lieut,  B.  Frank  Hean  was  among 
the  wounded  ;  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  nineteen. 

The  Ninety-eighth  Pennsylvania  was  commanded  during 
this  campaign  by  its  Lieut.-Col.,  George  Wynkoop,  a  gallant 
officer,  who  won  the  admiration  of  his  division  commander 
by  his  splendid  behavior  at  a  most  critical  juncture.  Gen. 
Wheaton  says  in  his  official  report  of  the  battle  of  the  fourth: 
"  At  3J  P.  M.  on  the  fourth,  the  left  of  the  Third  division  was 
attacked  by  a  strong  column  of  the  enemy,  but  our  batteries 
soon  drove  them  back.  At  5  P.  M.  our  extreme  left,  held  by 
the  Second  division,  was  hard  pressed,  and  I  was  ordered  to 
send  a  regiment  to  Howe's  ris;ht.  The  Ninety-eighth,  under 
Lieut.-Col.  Wynkoop,  was  immediately  despatched  with  a  staff 
officer ;  and  almost  immediately  after  I  was  ordered  to  the 
same  point  with  the  whole  brigade.  We  moved  down  the 
plank  road  at  a  double  quick,  and  turned  into  a  field  on  the 
left,  and  formed  line  of  battle,  advancing.  The  most  advanced 
rebel  batteries  of  the  attacking  column  were  within  fifty  yards 
of  a  low  furze  fence,  just  as  the  Ninety-eighth  was  at  an  equal 
distance  from  this  side,  shooting  and  firing  as  he  advanced. 
Lieut.-Col.  Wynkoop  reached  the  fence  first,  and  checked  the 
rebels,  who  found  an  unexpected  line  to  meet  them ;  seeing 


85 

it  well  supported,  and  my  other  three  regiments  advancing, 
they  fell  back,  and  were  easily  captured." 

Col.  Ballier,  who  was  in  command  of  the  brigade  during 
the  series  of  engagements,  was  severely  wounded  in  the  foot, 
and  Captain  Casper  Geisz,  and  Lieuts.  Louis  Lichstern,  Louis 
Soistman,and  George  Bush  were  wounded,  the  latter  mortally : 
seven  enlisted  men  were  killed,  and  fifty-two  wounded  and 
missing  ;  an  aggregate  of  sixty-four. 

The  One  hundred  and  second  Pennsylvania,  commanded  by 
Col.  Joseph  M.  Kinkead,  suffered  heavy  losses.  Lieut-Col. 
John  W.  Patterson  was  wounded,  and  among  the  missing. 
Captain  John  Large  was  killed,  and  Captain  James  D.  Duncan 
was  wounded,  and  Captain  Orlando  M.  Loomis  and  Lieut. 
Charles  S.  Barclay  missing ;  eighteen  enlisted  men  were 
killed,  ninety-five  wounded,  and  fifty-one  missing;  aggre 
gating  one  hundred  and  seventy-one. 

The  One  hundred  and  thirty-ninth  Pennsylvania  was  com 
manded  by  Col.  Frederick  H.  Collier  during  the  campaign. 
Lieut.  James  T.  Harbison,  a  brave  ofiicer,  was  killed,  and  Cap 
tain  John  C.  Dempsey  mortally  wounded.  Captain  Dempsey 
expired  about  twelve  days  after  the  battle.  Lieuts.  Daniel 
Crum  and  Isaac  A.  Pearce  were  wounded.  Eleven  enlisted 
men  were  killed,  seventy-three  were  wounded,  and  thirty-five 
missing,  making  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-three. 
The  aggregate  loss  in  the  brigade  was  five  hundred  and 
ninety,  the  loss  in  the  division  footing  up  to  one  thousand  one 
hundred  and  eighty-one. 

The  Light  Division  assailed  the  Heights  with  two  thousand 
three  hundred  men ;  its  casualties  were  nearly  half  its 
number. 

The  Sixty-first  Pennsylvania,  which  led  the  storm  ing  party, 
lost  its  gallant  Col.,  George  C.  Spear,  killed,  and  six  com 
missioned  officers  wounded,  and  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
eight  enlisted  men,  as  follows:  seven  killed,  fifty-nine 
wounded,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  missing.  Cap 
tains  John  W.  Crosby,  William  W.  Ellis,  Jacob  Creps,  Robt. 
L.  Orr,  and  Lieuts.  Eugene  Kaerner  and  George  F.  Harper; 
the  latter  died  a  fortnight  after  the  battle. 
7 


86 

The  Thirty-first  ~New  York  was  also  particularly  unfortu 
nate.  Lieut.-Colonel  Leopold  C.  Newman,  and  acting  Major 
Captain  J.  Baruett  Sloan,  and  Sergeant-major  Robert  Crozier 
were  wounded,  and  Lieut.  John  Jewsbury  was  killed.  Cap 
tains  Henry  Shiekhardt  and  George  A.  Ebbetts,  and  Lieuts. 
George  Hoermann,  Erskine  Rich,  John  W.  Webster,  and  Ju 
lius  Ehehard,  were  captured  (these  latter  were  cut  off  with 
about  a  hundred  of  their  men,  on  the  fourth,  near  Banks' 
Ford).  Twelve  enlisted  men  were  killed,  fifty-nine  wounded, 
and  one  hundred  and  forty  captured  ;  a  total  of  two  hundred 
and  eighteen,  and  two  color-bearers  were  shot  down. 

The  Forty-third  New  York  lost  a  total  of  two  hundred  and 
thirty-six  officers  and  men.  Captains  Hugh  B.  Knickerbocker, 
Douglass  Lodge,  and  Lieut.  George  H.  Koonz  were  killed. 
Captain  Lodge  was  among  the  first  to  reach  the  Confederate 
works,  and  plant  the  regimental  standard  upon  the  ramparts, 
Lieut.  Robert  Russell  was  painfully  wounded,  and  Capts.  John 
W.  "Wilkinson,  William  Wallace,  William  L.  Thompson, 
Volkert  Y.  Yan  Patten,  and  Lieuts.  William  Hastings,  Hiram 
Yan  Buren,  and  James  II.  Smith,  and  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  men  were  captured. 

The  Sixth  Maine  (Bumham's  regiment)  lost  one  hundred 
and  twenty-eight  officers  and  men  killed  and  wounded,  and 
nine  were  missing.  Among  the  lamented  slain  were  Major  Joel 
J.  Haycock  and  Captains  Sewall  C.  Gray,  John  H.  Ballinger, 
Ralph  W.  Young,  and  Thomas  P.  Roach.  Capt,  Roach 
suffered  the  amputation  of  a  leg,  and  died  on  the  28th  of 
May.  Captain  Benjamin  J.  Buck  and  Lieuts.  James  B. 
McKinley  and  George  W.  Burnham  were  wounded.  Sergt. 
Frank  P.  Holmes  (Company  "  A")  of  Calais,  was  killed  in  the 
charge  on  the  Washington  Battery.  Young  Holmes  was  a 
nephew  of  Yice-President  Hamlin  (1863),  and  fell  at  a  glorious 
moment  for  his  regiment — crowned  with  victory. 

The  Fifth  Wisconsin  was  badly  shattered.  Capts.  Louis 
G.  Strong,  Jeremiah  J.  Turner,  and  Lieuts.  Alpheus  H. 
Robinson,  and  John  McMurtry  were  killed ,  and  Major  Hor 
ace  M.  Wheeler,  Captains  Horace  Walker,  Charles  W.  Kempf, 
Lieuts.  Aaron  B.  Gibson,  Louis  F.  Miller,  Charles  II.  Mayer, 


87 

Asa  W.  Hathaway,  and  Richard  Carter  were  wounded, 
thirty-five  enlisted  men  were  killed,  and  fifteen  died  from 
their  wounds ;  one  hundred  arid  sixteen  were  wounded,  and 
thirty-four  missing,  making  a  total  of  two  hundred  and  eleven. 

"  Lieut.  Brown,  who  commanded  the  famous  Washington 
Battery,  surrendered  with  his  men  to  Col.  Allen  in  person." 
The  aggregate  loss  in  the  Light  Division  was  nine  hundred 
and  ninety-six  officers  and  men. 

The  entire  loss  of  the  Sixth  Corps  was  live  thousand  two 
hundred  and  sixty-four,  exclusive  of  the  loss  to  the  artillery 
and  casualties,  which  occurred  on  the  staffs  of  the  different 
commanders;  these  would  bring  the  loss  up  to  about  five 
thousand  five  hundred.  Gen.  Hooker  reported  the  loss  in  the 
Sixth  corps  at  four  thousand  six  hundred  and  one,  and  Gen. 
Sedgwick  reported  it  at  four  thousand  nine  hundred  and 
twenty-five;  but  we  have  shown,  by  individual  count,  the 
loss  to  be  much  greater.  The  discrepancies  above  cited  are 
no  doubt  the  result  of  imperfect  reports  made  at  a  time  when 
many  of  the  regiments  were  constantly  on  the  move. 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  5O  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


AUG   5  1943     | 

ITERLIBRARY  LOAN 

*jic  13   UQ43 

II  IM  n    i     JJ-LJ-II 

0Aor'59lT 

JUN21  1991, 

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THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


